


The Many Adventures of Charlie and Castiel

by A_Zap



Series: The Adventures of Charlie and Castiel [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotp, Charlie and Castiel are best buds, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Occasional Destiel, Pop Culture, pop culture references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 06:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 53
Words: 66,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13048119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Zap/pseuds/A_Zap
Summary: Castiel and Charlie are two of the Winchesters' greatest allies. It's no wonder that they get along great. Together, they navigate life, hunting, and pop culture. These are their many adventures.Castiel and Charlie's epic bromance with occasional appearances from the Winchesters.





	1. The Books are Better

"Excuse me?" Charlie stared at Cas, complete and utter shock all across her face.

"About what?" He asked, confused. The angel saw no reason for her shock.

"Are you telling me?" She leaned closer to him across the table in the Bunker's library. Cas fought the urge to lean away from her. She was putting up a frightening aura. "You know all of this pop culture knowledge, but you haven't actually seen or read almost all of them?"

The confusion cleared up. Cas was grateful for that. "Oh, yes." He replied, ignoring the way her jaw dropped once more. "Metatron was impatient and sick of me not getting his references, so he 'downloaded,'" he made quotation marks around the word, "all of his pop culture knowledge."

"Agh!" Charlie wrenched herself away. "How could he?! This is scandalous, inhuman!" She ranted, obviously enraged though the angel didn't quite understand why. "It's one thing if a person purposely looks for spoilers and info on Wikipedia or something, but for this to be forced on someone!" She turned around from where she had been, and suddenly, Cas found himself being hugged. "You poor baby in a trenchcoat!"

Castiel frowned. He still didn't like being called that, but somehow it wasn't as insulting coming from Charlie as it had been from Dean. Maybe it was because of the way she said it with such utter fondness.

"What?" He asked, not getting why he was being hugged. "What's wrong?"

Charlie drew back with a sigh. "And Metatron dares to call himself a nerd." Scorn coated her voice. "Tell me, is this jerk still alive?" Her eyes were cutting into the angel with their anger.

"When I last saw him, yes." Cas winced at what had happened when he had finally retrieved his Grace. Metatron was certainly alive, though the angel had no clue where the now human had gone.

"When I find him, I am so going Dark on his butt. True nerds and geeks do want others to get their references, but that's better solved by having them join in." She seemed to be debating something internally. With a wave of her hand, she gestured for Cas to follow her. "Come with me."

Curious, Castiel followed her down the hallway into her room that had been set-up for when she was visiting. Figurines, books, and DVDs lined the walls along with several framed posters. Charlie walked over to one particular shelf and pulled out seven books.

"Okay," she said as she turned back to him, "I'm going to let you borrow these to read. If you haven't really been in a real fandom before, these are a great place to start." She set them down into Cas's waiting hands.

He looked down at them. The first one said, _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. "Charlie, I do know what happens in these. Metatron has read these at least."

"Shhh." Charlie gently laid a finger on Cas's lips to prevent him from speaking. Surprised, he did so. "Knowing what's going to happen is totally different from reading it. Or watching it if you're talking about a movie or TV show." She stepped back and gave him a smile. "Just read them, Cas."

"Alright." Castiel agreed, though he wasn't sure if it was for his sake or hers.

Over the next couple of weeks, during which he is grateful that he doesn't need to sleep since he has more time to read that way, Cas manages to read all of the Harry Potter books. Even though he knew all that transpired in the books and the most famous quotes, several of the events still blindsided him, and he was surprised over how emotional he would get over characters who technically weren't real.

There were several times during that time when he had to go to Charlie to get out what she termed as "feels" over the events that transpired.

Overall, he was amazed at how he now understood the stories better because it wasn't just random information shoved into his head now. He had bonded with these characters.

"You were right." Castiel told her soon after he had closed the pages of _Deathly Hallows_. "It is different. It's more…" He struggled to find the right word until it finally popped up. "Personal."

Charlie gave an understanding smile. "Reading is generally considered a personal experience, because it's just you and the characters connected through words and imagination. But the best part comes after," she admitted. "Because you then have a shared, if somewhat different, experience that can help you connect with dozens of people."

A light bulb went off over Cas's head. "Is that why so many people enjoy making references?"

"Exactly." A huge grin took over Charlie's face. "Now," she clamped a hand onto Castiel's shoulder and got a menacing expression, "we're watching the movies."

Feeling intimidated once more by the slight woman, Cas readily agreed. After all, Dean had always told him that it was better to watch the movie of something than wait for the books.

Over 17 and a half hours later, with extra time for bathroom breaks and food, the credits were rolling for _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2_. Castiel had only one thing to say, which summed up all of the comments he had wanted to say during the movies but had known better than to talk through the first time watching them.

Cas turned to Charlie and said, "The books were better."

Charlie laughed.


	2. I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie introduces Cas to the wonders of ice cream.

"So your taste buds are back to normal, right?" Charlie looks over her shoulder at Cas. "Now that you've got your real Grace back."

"Yes, if I choose to taste it, I can now." Castiel was looking curiously around the ice cream parlor.

"I'm still surprised that Dean has never given any to you, or that you didn't have any while you were human." She admitted, though she was glad that his Grace was all set. After all, there was no point to treating him if all he was going to taste was the molecules.

Her companion was silent, which wasn't unusual, but it seemed weighed down so she turned to look at him. Castiel looked uncomfortable and shuffled his feet a bit.

"While I was human," he paused and looked away, "I did not have enough money for excess expenditures."

Charlie stared at him as that sentence translated. In other words, he had been too poor. She could understand that as she had been there before. She gave him a small smile. "Well," he looked back up at her, "today's my treat!" Her smile widened as she felt the mood lift.

Cas returned her smile. "Thank you." With that, he lifted his eyes to the menu. He frowned. "What is the best choice?" His eyes were lit with a curious light as he glanced back over at her.

"Hmm." Charlie paused. After all, it was a tough decision. "As it's your first time, maybe we should stick to the basics: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry." She shrugged and looked at him. "Any of those sound appealing?"

"I like chocolate." He readily admitted. "But I have also tasted vanilla flavoring before and found it nice. Strawberries are also quite nice."

"In short, it's hard to choose." Charlie sighed. It should have occurred to her that the angel would take this seriously.

Cas doesn't respond, and when Charlie looks over at him, his head is tilted and he's squinting at the menu.

"What?" She asks, wondering what caught his attention.

Castiel opens his mouth then closes it. He opens it again, glancing from the menu to her and back. "Honey ice cream?"

She blinked. Charlie's not quite sure if that's a question or his selection. She looks at the menu herself and spots it. With a glance at the angel, she asks, "Is that what you want?"

Cas looks at the menu gravely. "Yes." He finally said.

"Alrighty." Charlie and Cas finally make their way to the counter where a bored looking teen is operating the cash register. Charlie finds that hard to believe, because who wouldn't want to work at an ice cream shop?

"What can I get you?" He asked monotonously.

Despite his attitude, Charlie gives him a smile. "A double scoop of honey for my friend and a double scoop of Funfetti cake for me."

"Okay." The scooper quickly makes up the cones and hands them over. He rings them up and before long, Charlie and Cas are outside in the warm sunlight at a park across the street, clutching their ice cream cones and several napkins.

Charlie quickly digs in, but she keeps her eyes on Castiel as he studies it for a moment. Then, he takes a tentative lick.

His eyes widened. "This is good." He says softly, reverently.

Charlie laughed. "Yeah, it certainly is. Can you see why people scream for it now?" Castiel paused and stared at her for a moment. "You might want to eat that before it melts," she prodded gently, noticing that there was a stream of melted ice cream already running down the side of the cone.

Cas looked down and noticed. Quickly, he began licking and biting his ice cream, Charlie following his lead. It didn't take long before the ice cream was gone, hands were wiped, and there wasn't a trace of their treat anywhere.

"What did you mean people scream for it?" Cas asked, looking worried. "Is it some kind of torture?"

Charlie suppressed the urge to laugh. "It's just an old saying. It goes, 'You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.'" She wrinkled her nose a bit. "It more of the scream in an excited way than screaming in pain."

"Oh." Cas said, looking mildly embarrassed again. "We should get more sometime."

"Totally!" Charlie agreed. They began to walk away from the shop when Cas stopped and looked back. "What is it?" She turned and followed his gaze back to the parlor.

"I noticed that they also sold tubs of their ice cream." Castiel noted. At Charlie's nod confirming this, he continued, "Do you think that Dean would like their apple pie ice cream?"

The smile grew on her face once more. "I like the way you think." Charlie said, as the two headed back to get some ice cream for their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The hardest part was deciding what ice cream to give them. I was thinking about giving Cas a basic flavor when I wondered if there was honey ice cream (because of how he used to follow the bees). There is, so he got that. I wanted to give Charlie something fun and unusual and finally decided to give her Funfetti, which I've seen before. It was a choice between that and Superman or Blue Moon. Anyway, as it is summer, it is the time of ice cream. Go forth and have some!


	3. Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie asks the hard question - of how to mix religion with something that some people say is amoral.
> 
> Talk about how to reconcile LGBT+ issues with religion.

"Uh, Cas?" Charlie hesitated on this question as she looked at the angel seated in a different comfy chair on the other side of the Bunker's library. She had been wondering about the answer to this question ever since she had heard that angels and God were in fact real. However, she had debated whether or not she should actually ask it. It was strange for her, even she knew that, but…

This question, in particular, was important to her.

"Yes?" Castiel looked up from the book he was reading, and Charlie felt a smug sort of pride over the fact that she had gotten an angel to read the Percy Jackson books, even if it was ironic having an angel of God with a capital G reading a series centered on an ancient polytheistic belief system. Still, his eyes as always were earnest, and he devoted his entire attention on her. He was genuinely interested in what she had to ask.

For a second, she hesitated again. After all, depending on the answer, it could crush her. Then she drew in her courage and opened her mouth.

"You know I'm a lesbian, right?" Charlie blurt out.

Cas tilted his head a bit and narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

"So, uh," she stumbled over the words, "why don't you have a problem with that? In the Bible, I mean – " She couldn't finish and looked down, slightly embarrassed. LGBT was a big topic all over the world at the moment, and a lot of the protests were based off of religious scripture. Charlie had thought that getting the opinion of an actual angel might make her feel better, especially as the issue was so near to her, but she couldn't bring herself to finish.

She heard a slight sigh and the sound of Castiel closing his book. Within a few moments, she suddenly saw Cas's sensible shoes in the scoop of her vision as she looked at the floor, and she jumped a bit because she hadn't heard him walking. They shifted as the angel settled in the chair right across from hers.

"Charlie." His voice said softly. "Look at me." She slowly looked up, and he gave her a small smile.

Something in her relaxed at that smile. Charlie relaxed further as he reached out and touched her gently, though he looked a tad bit unsure if he was doing the right thing to comfort her. Castiel was a terrible liar, and she saw no attempts at falsehood in his gestures, only complete sincerity and care.

"I am utterly indifferent to sexual orientation. And gender for that matter." He told her. "I happened to end up in a male vessel, but I would still have been myself in a female vessel." He made a funny face at that, before he shrugged. Castiel looked her in the eye. "I am fairly sure that my Father feels the same way. After all, _all_ humans, both male and female, are made in his image. We only refer to him as a he for simplicity's sake. It comes down to one's soul; who they were, not what they were. All in all, it's a case of," his face twisted as if he was trying to find a proper analogy in the limited English language, "I believe one could say, it's a case of the contents being more important than the container."

Charlie took in a deep breath at that. It kind of felt like a burden she hadn't even know she had had been lifted.

"Also," Cas continued as he hadn't noticed her reaction, "one has to remember that even if information is given to prophets from my Father, how they interpret and write it is up to them. I'm sure you can understand that as you have read the Winchester Gospels. I cannot believe that prophets remembered every single detail that was revealed to them and wrote it verbatim." He looked away from a moment and gave a small chuckle at that thought.

She faintly nodded. Charlie would be surprised if God solidly approved every description within the books. In some ways, those books were more detailed than the Old Testament.

Castiel looked her in the eyes once more. "Besides the Christ child spoke directly from Father. He preached on acceptance and love. That should more than show how Father regards this matter." He smiled at her.

Part of Charlie wanted to cry. She somewhat felt the tears welling up in her eyes, and she looked away from where Cas sat before her.

Here was an angel telling her that it was all right to be who she was. She had never been ashamed, or tried to hide it. And even if his answer had been the opposite, she still would have continued as she had been. Somehow though, she just found the angel's words to be a huge relief. After all, if anyone should know about Heaven's stance on the matter, it would be him.

"Charlie." Castiel said gently, and she looked back at him. His gaze softened and that smile was still there. "With all of the sins this world has to offer, did you really think that one would be sent to Hell simply for loving someone? Even if that person is the same gender?"

And that was it. The floodgates opened up, and Charlie couldn't hold it back anymore. There was a small sound like something rustling, and Castiel's arms embraced her. He held her as she cried a bit, because she was simply so relieved.

And even though she knew that Cas always worried about screwing things up and hurting people, Charlie knew that later she could tell him that he had definitely saved some part of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Bit of a more serious story. First off, I would like to say that I am, in fact, a Christian. I'm asexual, so I know that I don't face the discrimination others face, but it still really me off though when people try to use religion, such as quoting the Bible, in order to justify bigotry and hatred. In the Gospels, which I pay more attention to given that the basis of my religious belief is that Jesus himself is part of the Trinity of Holy Beings, Jesus never spoke out against homosexuals so I wish people would stop saying he did. Sorry if this potentially offends anyone, but this chapter is based off of a rant that I typed up in order to vent about my frustrations about this.


	4. May the Force Be with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel finds himself enjoying Star Wars. It has even more metaphors than Looney Tunes.

"These movies draw upon many mythologies and influences to create their themes." Castiel tilted his head a bit, his eyes never straying from the screen.

"Oh, yeah." Charlie agreed. "It's part of what makes Star Wars so awesome!" She grinned at the screen as Darth Vader and Luke exchanged lightsaber blows in Cloud City.

Cas glanced over at her for a second, smiling at how happy she looked. They were almost done with _The Emperor Strikes Back_ after they had gotten done with the hunt. It was the second part of their marathon of the original trilogy. Once again, Charlie had insisted that the angel watch the original material and not just rely on Metatron's download.

He could certainly see the appeal from it, as he turned back towards the TV to wait for the series most iconic moment.

Dean snorted as he passed through the room. "Not everything's a metaphor, Cas." He took a sip of his beer as he looked back at them. The hunter had been in and out of the room, sometimes joining them, but often leaving to check up on Sam who had injured his wrist during the hunt.

Cas turned to frown at him. He turned back at the screen, deciding not to let Dean ruin his fun. "I stand by my assessment of the Looney Toons cartoon with the road runner and coyote."

Charlie looked over at him as soon as Luke was crying out in despair. "I don't know about any Looney Toons, but _Star Wars_ has plenty of allusions and metaphors." She gave him a small smile. "So don't let Dean get you down. He just doesn't want to admit it."

Cas smiled back. "I find it interesting that it just doesn't stick to one singular belief system, but incorporates multiple ones into the mythology of the movies." Luke had been rescued, so he felt himself more willing to talk as the movie wound down. "Christianity, Roman mythology, Greek mythology, Taoism, Hinduism, Qigong, Confucianism, Shintoism, and elements of you own history. All of these are blended together into in a story with the archetypes of your greatest tales that portrays the most basic battle between good and evil. It even shows that it is not as black and white as most would like to believe."

"Part of the appeal at least is that struggle between good and evil." Charlie said as the credits started to roll with that famous music playing. "Though all metaphors aside, who's your favorite character?"

Cas tilted his head and thought for a moment. He was able to take the moment as Charlie was switching the DVDs for _Return of the Jedi_. Star Wars had a great deal of characters a lot of them, and even if they were not on the side of good, they were all well written. "I admire Princess Leia." The angel admitted. "She does not allow herself to be made a victim even when captured as most women are portrayed in older films. She also knows how to take charge in a situation and fights for what she believes in."

"She's one of my favorite, though Han Solo is also one of them." Charlie agreed with a smile. She flopped back down on the couch. "I've actually got a tattoo of Leia."

Cas felt his eyebrows rise a bit. He had a feeling that it would be better not to ask.

Charlie's look back at him seemed to agree. "What happens at Comic Con stays at Comic Con."

"Alright." Castiel's eyes turned towards the TV where the opening credits for the final movie in the original trilogy.

"I should take you to a convention." Charlie said in a thoughtful tone of voice. Some time had passed and Leia had been caught after freeing Han.

"A convention?"

"Yeah. We'd cosplay, too. I'd be Han Solo." Cas glanced at her and saw her smirking at him. She continued, "And you'd be Leia."

They both turned at the sound of spluttering. Dean stood in the doorway with a beer in his hand, obviously about to join them again. Castiel marveled at the slight blush on his face. He'd never seen such an expression on Dean's face before.

"You can't – It's – Cas is a dude!" Dean finally managed to get out. "There's no way that he could be Leia."

"Relax. It's not like I would have him wear _that_ outfit." Charlie said cheekily as she gestured to where Leia was wearing the bikini dress.

Cas studied it a bit. It's not like he ever really cared what he wore, though he admitted a certain fondness to wearing an overcoat. The one he currently owned was a bit different than the one he had gotten from Jimmy, but it was good enough. Still, he had to admit, at least to himself, that the bikini dress would have been a bit much.

Dean was spluttering again, denials falling from his lips. Castiel ignored that as a thought occurred to him and he absently said, "Dean could be Luke." He kept his gaze on the screen.

The choking sounds stopped and a glance back showed that Dean was now staring at him with his mouth open.

"What?" He asked, looking back at the TV.

"Yes!" Charlie jumped a bit on the couch. She was certainly latching onto Cas's idea. "And then Sam can be Chewbacca! We'll go in the costumes from _A New Hope_. It'll be perfect!"

Cas smiled a bit at the way her eyes had lit up at the idea of taking them all to a convention in costume. As she continued to talk about what they would do and Dean finally recovered enough to grumble his way to a seat, the angel sat back and enjoyed watching a movie with his friends. Until another thought came to him.

"There are three prequels, correct?" He waited for both Dean and Charlie to nod. "Metatron never saw them, so should we watch those next?"

Cas started a bit as both Charlie and Dean threw fits.

"No, Cas! You're probably the last unspoiled Star Wars fan in the world!" Charlie hugged him close. "Save yourself!"

"Okay." He said, as the movie played on.

"Now, let's get back to the _good_ movies." Charlie rewound a bit and they continued watching, secure in the other's company.

It was one of the nicest days that Castiel could remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: My church once had a pastor who gave an entire sermon about Star Wars. Although, it's not like its entirely Christian in where it draws its ideals and themes. I think that given Cas's ability to pick them out metaphors, he would definitely notice. I'll admit that I knew that there were different metaphors and allegories from different beliefs, but I had to look up quite a few of them for this story. In continuing with Star Wars, I thought it would be awesome if Charlie dressed as Han Solo, given her tendency to quote him, with Cas acting as her Leia mostly since it's funny. Also, I will admit that I prefer the originals to the prequels, though the newer ones have awesome effects. I have high hopes for the new one coming out though. May the Force be you!


	5. The Elephant in the Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie meets the King of Hell. He finds that she's a force to reckon with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to cheryl24 on FF.Net for the suggestion of having Crowley and Charlie meeting.

"Well, then, my feathery friend," Crowley smirked from the other side of the room, "we meet again."

"Crowley." Cas acknowledged the demon. Charlie glanced between the two of them.

Charlie had called Cas to act as back-up on a case she had found. She had thought that it was ghouls who had been acting up. The angel had quickly discovered that it was actually demons. Though what demons wanted to do with a bunch of corpses is not something he really wanted to know. They had taken care of the demons with some smiting on Cas's part and some exorcism on Charlie's part. Luckily, it did remind Cas to make a note to get Charlie a blade that could kill demons.

Anyway, of course, this all lead to the King showing up.

"Wait a minute." The redhead looked between the two. "Crowley, as in _the_ Crowley?"

"Yes." Cas glance at her. She had that somewhat star-struck expression she had had when they had first met. Though, she had looked really happy then. She looked merely interested at this meeting.

"Wow." She blinked and studied Crowley a bit more closely. "So this is the King of Hell."

"I see my reputation proceeds me." Crowley looked right back at her. Castiel knew from experience that the demon was sizing her up, working her into his schemes, and deciding the best way to use her. "However, I cannot claim the same for you."

The angel moved in order to try to shield her from Crowley. He should have known better as the nerd bounced forward, hand outstretched. "Charlie Bradbury, queen of Moondoor. I'm a tech expert." She had obviously caught the demon off guard as he shook her hand with an incredulous look on his face. "I've read about you, though there isn't much about you in the books. The boys have told me a bit about what you've done since then."

"I'm sure they were bold-faced lies." Crowley smiled at her, putting on the charm. Suddenly, he winced. Cas frowned and looked down at their joined hands.

Charlie was squeezing Crowley's hand so hard that the angel could see the tips turning white.

"So you didn't make a deal with Cas that lead to the Leviathans being unleashed and you didn't lead Dean to Cain and help convince him to take the Mark?" Charlie's voice was dangerous and Cas wondered if this was the influence of her darker side.

Crowley wrenched his hand away. "Feisty little thing, aren't you?" He flexed his fingers. He glanced at them as the color returned to them. "I never seem to have much luck with redheads."

Charlie snorted as Cas came to stand by her once more. He preferred to be closer in case either party tried to start something. "You obviously don't look into enough fantasy or sci-fi." She said. "Never mess with redheads." A confident smile came across her face.

Castiel blinked. That reminded him of something they had just watched. "Like in Buffy."

Charlie grinned. "Exactly. Though I'm surprised Metatron didn't have that in his databanks."

"He probably considered it too 'low-brow' for his tastes."

"Buffy? Low-brow?" Crowley said, disgusted. "Buffy is both original and ground-breaking in that it was a TV show with a female hero instead of her being shunted off as a heroine or damsel."

"So you do have some taste." Charlie seemed mildly impressed.

"Crowley is known for having good tastes. They also tend to be expensive." Castiel admitted. After all, he had learned that all to well during their time of working together.

"Hmm." Charlie agreed with him.

"Crowley," Cas finally got back to business, "we've taken care of your demons here. What do you want?"

"Well, I had been hoping to lure out the Winchesters." Crowley shrugged. "Guess that's fallen through." He snapped his fingers and a scotch appeared in his hands.

"Really?" Cas contemplated drawing his angel blade. It was true that Crowley could do a quick draw and bring out his gun with angel-killing bullets, but he might have enough time to stab the demon if it came down to it.

"Relax, Kitten." Crowley rolled his eyes. "I didn't have anything planned specifically for them. I just wanted to mess with them a bit."

"How can we be sure you're telling the truth?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've always got an agenda."

"Because I'm dishonest, so I can be trusted to be dishonest." Crowley smiled.

The pair blinked.

"Pirates of the Caribbean? Really?" Charlie said.

"I don't understand that reference." Cas frowned. It had been happening a lot less lately, but it seemed that it would be impossible for the angel to know all of humanity's pop culture.

The demon and nerd stared at him. He stared back, a bit uncomfortable. The angel felt a need to defend himself though he didn't know why.

"What is Metatron's problem?" Charlie asked out loud.

"God only knows." The British demon threw back the rest of his drink.

"Actually, come to think of it, there's a question I've always wanted to ask you." Charlie admitted, turning towards Crowley. Cas shot her a quizzical look, wondering what was on her mind.

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"So, you're the King of Hell? The strongest demon down below, or at least the smartest, right?" Charlie started. Both angel and demon nodded. "And yet when you're in a Devil's Trap, you can't step over a bit of paint?"

Everyone froze. Castiel could sense the awkwardness in the air as it descended. He found himself exchanging an uncomfortable look with Crowley.

Charlie might as well have taken the elephant in the room and shot it in the head. Distantly, a part of Cas was proud to even come up with the metaphor.

Crowley cleared his throat. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, it doesn't make sense." Charlie defended, looking in between the two. "You burnt up that hex bag Rowena made that would've killed anyone else. But the Winchesters are constantly able to stick you in a Devil's Trap and then you can't get out. It's just freaking paint! It seems like you should be above that."

"Charlie." Cas finally managed to say. She turned to look at him. "It's like the pizza man. We don't talk about it."

"Doesn't make anymore sense." Charlie muttered to herself, clearly unsatisfied with that answer. She turned back to Crowley and the angel followed her gaze.

"Well, this was lovely and all, but I must dash." Crowley was gone in the blink of an eye.

With the demon gone, Cas turned to leave, but Charlie remained standing, looking at the place where Crowley had stood with a contemplative expression on her face.

"What?" He asked her.

"Next time the Winchesters need him for something," Charlie said, exchanging a glance with Castiel because they both knew it would happen again. In their lives, the King of Hell was a valuable frienemy. "Let's summon him right into a Devil's Trap."

"I think Sam and Dean both have him in their contact lists." Cas said as they finally left.

"Well, we'll have to do it as we don't have him in our lists." Charlie said with a grin that Cas had seen on Gabriel's face way too many times.

He did not envy Crowley at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Again, thanks to cheryl24 for the suggestion. I had contemplated doing a chapter where Charlie meets Crowley, but I didn't really have any good ideas until I got that review. So, even if I don't get to it right away, I will probably get to suggestions eventually. I've got a list of ideas that I'm using. Also, I like the idea of Charlie pointing out that Crowley can't step out of a Devil's Trap when it's basically just paint marks. I mean, he's the King. I read something that brought this issue up and found it hilarious. Also, as you might have noticed, I have decided that these stories from "May the Force Be With You" on take place in a universe where Charlie either a) was injured by the Stynes but was brought to Cas in time for him to heal her or b) died but she was brought back to life. I haven't really decided which scenario. The chapters before that take place in the time between 10x18 "Book of the Damned" and 10x21 "Dark Dynasty." Same goes with the story "The New Dynamic Duo." Therefore, this is just for people wondering about the continuity of the story, though Dean's rampage and unleashing the Darkness still happened. But all of them need to do stuff while they have no clue how to solve the latest problem.


	6. The Sorting Hat Conundrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Castiel try to determine which Hogwarts Houses they'd be in.

"What Hogwarts house do you think you'd be in?" Charlie asked.

The angel glanced over at her quizzically from where he was sitting with his laptop, obviously unsure where that question had come from. After all, they were on a different case involving a shifter that had nothing to do with witches or wizards.

The nerd had just been taking a moment to check her Facebook when the announcement of the guy from Les Mis playing the main character in _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ had popped up again. It got her to thinking.

"I don't know." Cas finally said. He looked thoughtful as he brow scrunched up a bit. "I do not think that angels would be very welcome regardless. Besides, I would assume that I would go to an American institution for magic rather than Hogwarts as I spend more time here than in the British Isles."

"Yeah, maybe." Charlie waved that thought away. "But if you were human and a wizard and going to Hogwarts, what house do you think you'd be in?"

The angel continued to frown as he thought of it. "What house do you think you'd be in?" He asked instead.

"Agh." She groaned. The tables had been turned on her and she was a bit annoyed at Cas for that, though she supposed it was only fair. Her hand came up as she thought about it. It was a question she had often pondered, but there was only one real possibility for her. "Despite how cool it would be to be a Gryffindor, I'm fairly sure I would be in Ravenclaw."

Castiel nodded in agreement to her relief. "Your intellectual skills do surpass many people." He said, and Charlie could feel a bit of a blush rising at the compliment. "I do believe you would be brave enough for Gryffindor if you so chose it." He continued.

"You don't really get to choose." Charlie reminded him.

"Harry did."

"I guess that's true." She thought about it a moment. "Actually, all of the Golden Trio could have easily fit into a different house. Harry would be in Slytherin, Ron would be in Hufflepuff, and Hermione would be in Ravenclaw. However, they all ended up in Gryffindor."

"It seems to me that that is part of the problem with these stories where people are sorted by possessing certain attributes." Cas pointed out, and it was obvious to the redhead that he had thought about this before. "Humans are so varied that often there are multiple attributes or characteristics that they possess which overlap with whatever category they are placed within. Even then, they may not continue to possess these traits as they could change over time."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure most people were surprised by Neville being in Gryffindor until the later books." Charlie admitted. After all, she had wondered about it too, even with the boy standing up to his friends by the end of the first book. "Of course, it is possible that the Sorting Hat could see the future or pick up on things that the person doesn't even know they possess."

"That just perpetuates the stigma that all bad wizards go to Slytherin." Castiel said dryly. "Which we know is not necessarily true."

"I guess, though they're supposed to be cunning and not evil. Snape certainly was clever." Charlie said with a sigh. Then, she stopped. _Wait a minute…_ "Stop changing the subject." She looked over at the angel, who deflated a bit at being caught. "You never answered my question."

Cas was quiet. "I am unsure. As we just discussed, I possess several qualities from different houses."

Charlie thought about it. It was true she found. Cas was brave like a Gryffindor, intelligent like a Ravenclaw, and loyal like a Hufflepuff. He was clever, but she didn't think he had the cunning, or the ability to lie, that would be required of a Slytherin. It was hard to put him in any of the three remaining houses though. After all, he would probably fit in any of them, but the question was what would suit him the most?

"You can see my problem." Castiel said in response to Charlie's silence. Hope crept into his eyes as he gazed at her. "What do you think I would be in?"

"Hmm." Charlie thought hard, closing her eyes. She concentrated on what made Cas Cas. Eventually, she opened her eyes. "I think you would probably end up in either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. The Sorting Hat would probably debate between those two." She looked over at the angel, who seemed oddly content at her conclusion.

Charlie was a bit surprised because many people hated the thought of being a Hufflepuff even more than being a Slytherin.

"If it came down to those two and the Hat gave you a choice, which would you chose?" She asked, genuinely curious.

The angel tilted his head as he thought about it. "I would probably choose Ravenclaw." He decided. "I would not mind being in the same house as Luna and I would also get to be with you." Luna had been one of his favorite characters.

Charlie smiled. She would be glad to be in the same house as him, too. "Well, you're also really smart. I've read and heard about the times when you've had to come up with solutions or techniques that no one else has before. Also, it seems that Ravenclaw gets all of the quirky, cool people."

Cas nodded in agreement.

"Besides," Charlie continued as she thought more about it, "Sam would probably end up in Ravenclaw, too, so we'd hang out with him as well."

"Dean would be in Gryffindor." Castiel immediately said, seeing where she was going.

Charlie's smile widened at his quick response. "He certainly would." Suddenly, the perfect way to check whether or not their guess was correct came to her.

"I know how we can know for sure what your house is." She bounced over to him and gently took his laptop. With a few quick keystrokes, she was entering the URL that she was thinking about. "I've done this already so I know I'm a Ravenclaw. Now, we'll check you."

"If this is one of those online quizzes, I have found that those tend to be unreliable and you can give the same answers but get a different response." Cas craned his neck a bit trying to see where she was going.

"This is official though." Charlie turned the screen towards him, revealing the Pottermore website. "One of the first things you do on this site is getting sorted. So let's make you an account and get going."

"Alright." Cas set about getting an account for Pottermore. His forehead wrinkled as he came up to the sorting and he concentrated on his answers.

Charlie had a huge grin on her face when the Sorting Hat finally sorted Castiel. The Ravenclaw crest filled the screen and Cas had a small smile on his face.

After all, Charlie knew, especially for a being that was often caught between Heaven and Earth, that it was a privilege to know for sure where you belong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: It really is hard to pick which house Cas would go in. I generally end up debating between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I've read a lot of lovely fics or seen great fan art for him being in either house. I ended up putting him in Ravenclaw in this simply because that's the house I'm in (and I never really had to take a quiz to know that). Still, Cas really does have problems deciding where he belongs, and a lot of YA and kids put try to make it seem clear-cut, but it really isn't.


	7. The Queen's Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie takes Castiel to Moondoor.

"What is the purpose of this activity?" Castiel asked, his blue eyes alight with curiosity. He gazed around at the varied and colorful tents and the hustle and bustle of people moving from place to place.

"There's not so much a purpose of this, we just like doing it. It's fun." Charlie replied. She was dressed in what she had termed her daily outfit. It consisted of a maroon tunic with a red patch showing the crest of her kingdom over her heart. A black leather belt wrapped around her waist and underneath the tunic was a long-sleeved, gray shirt. She also wore comfortable brown trousers and knee-high black boots. She waved at her friends as she showed Cas around.

"The Middle Ages did not truly appear like this." Cas commented as he compared his own memories to what he was seeing now. Those had been dark times as fear and death had run rampant. This place was a lot more clean and colorful.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "It's more like how people imagine the Medieval Ages and Moondoor is more of a fantasy version anyway since we have magic and stuff. Think more _Lord of the Rings_." She smiled flirtatiously at a passing maiden, who blushed at the attention.

"And you are the Queen?" Cas asked, though he could see the respect and awe that people were regarding Charlie with. She did have a regal bearing at the moment that he did not normally see, and it suited her a bit.

"Yep." Her black-gloved hand grabbed his and she tugged him towards one of the tents. "It's good to be Queen, though it's been a long time since I've been here. I was in Oz and then with the Mark and everything…" She glanced back at him, a bit of a sad smile on her face. "It's been a while." She finished.

"What would you like me to do?" Cas asked as she ushered him into a tent full of costumes. He looked over the variety of daily medieval style outfits.

"Well, there's another Battle of the Kingdoms coming up." Charlie started to paw through the different outfits. She seemed to find what she was looking for, and she turned around with a triumphant smirk, flourishing a blue tunic. "Want to be part of the Queen's Honor Guard?"

Castiel squinted at it for a moment, thinking about it. He still didn't quite understand what he was supposed to do, but Charlie looked happy so it would probably be worth it. "It would be a true honor, your Highness." Cas gave her a small bow as he said it.

Charlie beamed.

She quickly picked out some clothes for him and herded him over to the dressing rooms to change. He carefully put the clothes on and put his own in one of the trunks in Charlie's tent. As he saw himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but think that Charlie had chosen well. He had a white button down shirt under the blue tunic and chain mail in between them. Gray trousers replaced his normal slacks. Charlie had also gotten him black, leather boots with a matching belt. Cas strode out to face the nerd while feeling a bit of nostalgia.

He wondered if these sorts of activities usually brought forth such feelings and that's why they did it. However, as he watched the smiles people wore as they participated, he figured it was more because it was something different than their regular life.

Charlie smiled as she caught sight of him. "Excellent!" She said. She made a twirling motion. "Let me see everything!"

Cas didn't exactly get why she wanted to view all of his clothing, but he had watched enough TV to know what she wanted. He did a slow spin like he had seen the time he had stumbled unto America's Top Model. "Is it okay?" He asked once he was facing her once more.

The smile didn't leave her face. "No, it's perfect!" She exclaimed. "Now," she handed over a pouch, "these beanbags are spells. You throw them at someone and declare a spell, and if it hits, then it is considered to be effective."

Cas nodded and attached the bag to his belt.

"You'll also need a regular weapon." Charlie turned to where several swords and bows were leaning against a fence.

"Alright." Castiel picked up one of the swords, since it was what he was most used to using. He blinked, surprised at how balanced it was. After trying several, he finally chose one. "I'll take this one." He told Charlie.

"Alrighty then." Charlie nodded her approval. "Want to survey my kingdom?"

"Of course." Cas was somewhat excited just from what he had seen already. Though there was one thing that was bugging him. "However, as you are the only monarch here, should it not be called a queendom? Though I've noticed that humanity always simply calls such places a kingdom regardless of the gender of the ruler." He stopped as Charlie stood gaping at him. "What?"

"Ah, Cas," Charlie finally snapped out of it, "I wish more people would talk to you. I feel like you'd set a lot of people straight." She patted him on the soldier before bouncing ahead of him.

He had no clue what had just happened, but decided to roll with it. After all, it probably wasn't all that important.

Instead, Cas felt suitably impressed as Charlie led him around the encampment. It was amazing to see how much care these people put into creating this world. It was well thought out and they put a lot of detail both into their costumes and acting. The angel couldn't help but smile at what he saw. It was things like these that he loved observing and reminded him of why he had chosen humanity over his brethren.

It was while they were walking when Cas caught a hint of movement out of the corner of his eye. He frowned and turned toward it and noticed a figure all in black coming towards Charlie with a blade raised. _Shadow Orc_. His mind labeled the figure as he drew his blade.

He managed to easily block the blow, and with a twist of his wrist, the orc was disarmed. The orc stumbled to the ground from the momentum. Cas swung his blade so the tip rested lightly on the orc's neck.

"Why would you attack the Queen?" The angel asked roughly, studying his opponent.

It was a man who had chosen to be part of the Shadow Orc faction. He stared up at Cas with wide eyes. "Whoa." He said softly.

Castiel raised an eyebrow. After all, he believed that the orc had just "broken character" as Charlie had talked about earlier.

The man seemed to realize this and immediately got back into the scene. "Your precious queen shall perish in the Battle of the Kingdoms, and the true ruler of Moondor shall rise: my master, the Shadow King." His voice was a bit muffled due to the fake teeth, but Cas understood it well enough.

"And yet, you came to assassinate her before they could meet on the field of battle." Cas retorted.

The orc narrowed his eyes. "It matters not whether she falls now or later." He growled.

"Do you think that you can fool me?" Cas asked. "I have led armies, boy. I have seen such strategies before." He leaned down closer. "You fear her power and thought you would strike now, but it has been your downfall." He looked up to see two people who Charlie had identified as part of her kingdom's guards. "Take him away." He stood back and lifted his blade up, returning it to his belt.

Before he was taken away, the orc asked a question. "Who are you?"

Cas paused, unsure of what to say. Charlie had brought him here, but he had yet to create a "profile" for a character that he would portray. He didn't know exactly how to proceed. A quick glance showed that the incident had attracted quite a crowd who looked at him expectantly.

"He is Castiel the Fallen, a great warrior from the distant Kingdom of Heaven." He glanced over at Charlie as she stepped up beside him. "He has traveled from a great distance to join me for the upcoming trials as we have battled before as comrades-in-arms. From this moment forth, he is a member of my Knights." She smiled serenely at the others, every inch of her a queen. "Now go about your business."

The watchers whispered excitedly to each other as they broke up and began to return to what they had been doing before. Cas felt a great sense of relief at that.

He turned to Charlie, grateful for her intervention, but he paused as he saw her expression.

"Wow, that was amazing!" She gave a quiet squeal of delight as she smiled up at him. "Those moves and the improv! Jeez!" The redhead nudged him. "Getting into the role, huh?"

"It was more instinctive, both of them." Cas replied. The thought occurred to him that maybe he had reacted too instinctively, but the man hadn't been hurt so it should be fine. "I did not lie."

Charlie smirked. "Yeah, I figured. That's why when I introduced you I tried to keep it as true as possible. I've noticed how uncomfortable you are with lying, and really you're kind of bad at it. Not that that's a bad thing." She shrugged.

"So it's alright that I'm using my real name?" Cas asked as he realized she had used it.

"Eh?" She shrugged again. "Who cares? It sounds cool enough for the setting of the game."

"Really? My name is cool?" Castiel had never heard it described as such. It seemed like only angels called him that now, as even Crowley had picked up on Dean's nickname for him. The only comment Cas had gotten regarding his name was a time when Dean had said it was somewhat girly sounding.

"Yep." Charlie threw her arm around Castiel's shoulders. She smiled. "Aw, but still, your sword skills rock. We're totally gonna win this on Saturday." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Now if only I could get Sam and Dean to come. I could always use my handmaiden."

"Handmaiden?" He couldn't help but ask. After all, both Winchesters were male the last time he had checked.

Charlie laughed. "It's a long story." Her hand moved from his shoulders and grabbed his hand. "C'mon, the day is still young, Sir Castiel."

Castiel smiled. "After you, your Majesty." And together, they went to discover the next wonder Moondoor had to offer.

The angel could only assume that this is what it meant to "have fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I want to see Castiel and Charlie running around Moondoor. I think that Cas would be great at larping because he has so much real life experience with battle.


	8. What a Wonderful World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel loves the beauty of nature, and Charlie learns to appreciate it as well.

Charlie slowly made her way up the drive towards the Bunker. The Winchesters had called her since they were in need of some tech support. She was somewhat proud of herself because she was a lot earlier than her anticipated arrival time.

A flash of tan out of the corner of her eye made her slow to a stop though. With a confused frown, she stopped at the Bunker's entrance and quickly parked her car. The redhead stepped out and looked back. Figuring the boys weren't expecting her just yet, she went over to investigate what she thought she had seen.

As she broke through the trees lining the drive, her eyes confirmed the sight.

It was Castiel.

The angel was sitting cross-legged in the field on the other side of the tree line and flowers of all colors and kinds surrounded him. The wildflowers moved softly in the gentle breeze. It made him stand out even more due to how drab his clothes were. However, it made a very pretty picture overall and Charlie had to resist snapping a picture with her phone.

He looked oddly content, a state that Charlie had never seen before in the angel. As she watched, Cas held out a hand and, after some squinting, she saw a bee land on his finger. He smiled down at it as he lifted it closer to his face. The nerd wondered if he was actually talking to it, perhaps with his mind.

Charlie made her way over to the angel. She stepped carefully, thinking it would be a shame to ruin the beautiful flowers. When she got closer, he looked up and smiled up at her.

"Hello, Charlie." Cas said as she finally reached him.

"Hey, Cas." She squatted down so she was at eye level with him. She pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen into her face. "What are you doing out here?"

"Ah." He turned back to the bee, which flew away after a few moments. Castiel watched it fly off. "Dean and Sam were arguing again. I did not want to get involved." He finally said. "Then, when I saw all of this…" He gazed around the field of flowers. "I thought it would be nice to sit for awhile."

"If they're fighting again, I don't want to be in there either." Charlie agreed, and she settled herself down to sit in the grass. She followed his gaze over the field. "This is pretty."

"Yes. The Earth holds much beauty." Cas said with a smile. As Charlie watched him, several more bees flew up to him, and she resisted the urge to quickly swat them away because he seemed really unconcerned about them. Instead, he seemed to welcome the bees. "When I traveled the world looking for my Father," he continued, "I saw many of the greatest wonders, both those that are natural and those that are made by human hands. He was not at any of them," he sighed, "but it was nice to see them up close."

"Yeah, I guess before you met the boys all you could do was watch from some cloud." The redhead idly picked a blue flower that was growing next to her.

"That's not quite true." Cas gave a small snort, though he kept it quiet to not scare the bees away. "My garrison was assigned to watch the Earth, so though we could not be seen, we were closer to being on Earth than our brethren."

"That's why you seem to know so many random facts about humanity." Charlie recalled Cas telling her one time about the origins of coffee. _Then why do you have trouble understanding modern times?_ The question crossed her mind, given what she had read about in the _Supernatural_ books. She kept silent because even that seemed to be a bit rude for her.

"Yes." He nearly crossed his eyes as a bee landed on his nose. Charlie stifled a laugh even though something about it was completely adorable. "However, after the death of Christ, we were ordered to withdraw all interactions, which is why my 'people skills' are not the best." He explained, actually answering Charlie's silent question.

For a small, panicked moment, she wondered if angels could read minds. She settled though as Castiel gave no reaction to her thoughts. After all, that would have been really embarrassing given some of the things she had thought about before in his presence.

Instead, she watched him as he sat in the flowers and interacting with the bees. There was an almost childlike demeanor to him at the moment. She had seen it before, but never so much as right then. There was a sense of wonder as well as care in how he looked at the blossoms around them and gently touched the bees.

Eventually, she couldn't help but ask.

"So what's with you and the bees?" Charlie didn't know exactly what prompted the angel to snap his head up and stare at her. "What?" She asked defensively.

As Castiel shifted a bit, she realized that the issue wasn't with her question. The angel suddenly seemed very self-conscious though. "What?" She asked again, but more gently this time.

He glanced down at the bees currently buzzing around his hand. "I was crazy once." He said. "I took on Sam's madness, and though I saw Lucifer at first, it soon changed." Cas brought his hand up. "While I was crazy, I gained a certain fondness, both for bees and, of course, flowers." With his other hand, he gestured around them.

"I see." Charlie hadn't heard that before. She made a mental note to pry more of the story from Sam or Dean later. It sounded like there was a lot more involved than what the angel was implying. "So," she continued, "you still like them."

"Yes." Castiel said a bit sheepishly. Charlie watched as a butterfly came and landed on Cas's head.

Charlie smiled. It really was cute.

Suddenly, an idea came to her. It was something that she had done before while playing Moondoor. This was probably the only thing that would make this situation cuter and it was the perfect place to do it.

"Hey," she nudged him, "ever made a flower crown?"

Cas turned toward her, intrigued. She smirked, as he replied, "No."

"Well, let's gather some flowers that you wouldn't mind wearing and I'll show you." She stood and gathered several flowers. The angel followed her lead as he gathered a ton of flowers. He occasionally checked with Charlie to see if he was picking the right ones. She made sure that he knew it didn't really matter.

Fairly soon, the two were sitting once more with bees buzzing around them. Flowers overflowed over Cas's lap and trenchcoat and she couldn't help but laugh. Sure, it was cute, but it was also somewhat ridiculous.

"Now what?" He asked a bit eagerly. His blue eyes were lit up, and that childish need to please was evident.

"Okay, watch as I weave these together. It's fairly simple, but it takes some practice." Charlie selected flowers in a pattern that she liked. She found herself choosing several flowers that were similar shades of blue with some white and purple flowers. The redhead adjusted the angle of her hands when Cas leaned towards her.

Halfway through Cas started his own chain to form the flower crown. He chose several white and yellow flowers, with some pink ones interspersed. He looked occasionally in order to make sure he was on the right track. He only needed some help when it came to the end and the angel needed to bring the ends together by weaving more flowers over the joint ends.

Castiel studied the crown he had made with curious eyes. Charlie couldn't help but think that it was really good for his first attempt. Something could definitely be said about angel learning curves. "What do we do with these?" He looked up at her.

She smiled at him. "We do this." And with those words, she plopped the crown she had made on Cas's head. He looked surprised and reached up one hand to almost touch it.

His hand came down and he fingered the crown in his own lap. He smiled back at her and then placed the crown he had made on her own head. "I thought as much." He said.

She laughed and Cas let out that huff of breath that was his own version of a laugh. "Hey, let's make some for the boys." The angel nodded his agreement and the two of them got to work.

Charlie didn't know how much time had passed before she heard Dean's voice calling out to them.

"Charlie! Cas!" He broke through the trees and stared at them, incredulous. "What the hell are you guys doing?"

Castiel quickly stood, loose flowers falling off of his trenchcoat, and walked over to Dean. Charlie laughed because it was like watching a preschooler go up to his parent in order to show the craft that he made during school. "I made this for you." He gently put the crown he made, with blue, red, white, and purple flowers, on Dean's head.

Charlie burst out laughing at the look on Dean's face. She picked up her latest crown and made her way over to them. The flowers continued to wave in the breeze and she couldn't help but think that this was perfect. As she got closer to the two, with Dean now shouting about chick-flick moments, the nerd made a mental note to get Cas a bumblebee plushie or pillow pet.

If his apparent love of bees and flowers made him as content and relaxed as she had ever seen, then the money would be well worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I wrote this story just because I wanted to have something with Cas and his beloved flowers and bees, which turned into Cas and Charlie making flower crowns (which I actually looked up on YouTube to see how you do it with real flowers. It was interesting). I don't know if flower crowns are still a thing because they were popular for a while. As you might guess, the title comes from the Louis Armstrong song. On another note, I also saw Inside Out yesterday and loved it. I had Charlie and Cas going to the movies on my list so I think I'll do that in an upcoming story after I work out a couple of other plot bunnies! See you later!


	9. What's in a Name?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel wonders who he really is.

Castiel sat on his bed in the Bunker. The Winchesters had given him a room there though he seldom used it. Most of the times he had used it had been when he was injured or required rest. It hadn't been filled with very pleasant memories.

However, since getting to know Charlie, he had begun to collect various objects, some he had gotten himself, some given to him by Charlie, Dean, or Sam. There were books that he had read and gotten his own copies of. There were several movies as well. In the drawers, he had several of what Charlie called "nerdy" tees as well as his clothes for Moondoor. There were also the weapons for Moondoor and some toys that he had been given. Dean had gotten new coverings for the bed. Also on his bed was a bee toy that Charlie had gotten him. He didn't quite know why she had gotten it, but he couldn't help but smile when she had given it to him. She had seemed satisfied with that.

That wasn't what was on his mind at the moment. Before him were his fake IDs as well as his driver's license, which held his vessel's personal information.

He furrowed his brow as he stared at them. Thoughts were swirling around in his head and he didn't know what to do with them. It was an issue that had been bugging him for a while, but he couldn't really put it into words.

Names were important. Especially when it came to the supernatural, such as he, names held a lot more power than one would think. Knowing the real name of a demon or angel gave one the power to summon him or her.

However, despite this, most angels made no attempts to conceal their names. Demons, being who they were, generally fell into two groups: those who decided to hide their name like Azazel and Meg, and those who really didn't care who knew their name and almost wanted it known like Abbadon and Crowley.

Castiel had never used to care. His time with the Winchesters had shown him otherwise, since that time Dean and he had gone after Raphael.

_"When humans want something really, really bad, they lie about it."_ Dean had told him after stuffing a FBI badge into his coat and saying that they couldn't tell the police the truth.

Cas reached over and picked the badge up. He had managed to keep it all of these years and the name, Eddie Moscone, was still there as starkly as it had been that day. He had felt uncomfortable using it at the time, but now he realized that wasn't the first alteration to his own name that had been used. He set the badge down down, still looking around him at the IDs.

Dean was the first to change his name. After Castiel had taken him to the past, Dean had begun calling him, "Cas." A nickname, and it was one that the angel had gotten used to hearing. Most demons referred to him as such, and Crowley seemed to delight in using it. Both of the Winchesters and Charlie called him Cas a lot more than they used his real name.

Then, when Castiel had become human, he had known that he had to hide his identity from his siblings. He had cast aside the clothes he had gotten used to and the overcoat he had felt a strong attachment to. It had been both to hide and due to the fact that he had to choose food and water over clothing. As a human, he had started to tell people his name was Clarence as that was what Meg had often called him, so it was somewhat comforting. Since then, Cas had learned that that was the name of a famous angelic character in a movie.

After he had been forced to leave the Bunker, he had picked the name Steve from a conversation about a new movie some teenagers had been discussing as he slowly traveled from Kansas to Idaho, where he had finally found work.

Once he had gotten a car though, a new need had arisen. He had needed a driver's license, and he could not get one of those from scratch as they say. Instead he had used the one for his vessel, taking Jimmy's identity. It was a bit old, as it should have been renewed several years ago, but it was enough for most people. It helped that he had never been pulled over as, unlike Dean, he actually drove the speed limit.

Of course, more recently, Charlie had given him other fake IDs to use on cases and several of them had the names of fictional characters and sometimes combinations of different names. Though useful, it hadn't helped Cas's contemplations.

Who was he? Despite all of these different names he used, wasn't he still Castiel? Or was he simply Cas? Did it matter? It was true that he had changed from simply following orders, and had apparently disobeyed before though he couldn't remember, but shouldn't his name still be the same.

There came a soft knocking at the door. Before he could answer, the door cracked open and Charlie stuck her head in. "Hey," she said, taking in the scene, "you've been shut in here all day. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Cas said, looking away from her back to the IDs. He heard Charlie come in and shut the door behind him. He was somewhat grateful for that, because he truly did not want to bother the Winchesters with his own problems.

Charlie was different somehow in that regard. She took her time to understand, and would actually listen to him. Even when he talked to the Winchesters, oftentimes they were so wrapped up in their own problems that they didn't have time for his. They didn't mean to shut him out, but he would admit that it still hurt all the same. Charlie was willing to help deal though.

He looked up as he felt the bed dip a bit. The look on Charlie's face told him that she hadn't bought his reassurance. She looked around at the contents on the bed. "Why've you got all these out?"

Castiel found that he really didn't want to answer that question, so he countered with changing the focus. "Charlie is not your real name."

The redhead blinked. She seemed a bit put off by the change in topic, but she went with the flow. "Yeah, Charlie Bradbury isn't my real name. It's Celeste Middleton."

Cas nodded, filing that information away. "How do you choose your fake names?" He surprised himself by realizing that this was a genuine question.

"Hmm." Charlie hummed as she drew her legs up onto the bed and folded them Indian style. "Well, for me, I generally choose a first name from a Stephen King book, such as the character Charlene, and then combine it with a last name of an author whose books I've read, such as Ray Bradbury. Though, I also sometimes combine the names of fictional characters I like, such as my ID for an Annabeth Granger." She gestured widely. "Though you've probably noticed that the boys do it differently. They often use names of musicians or some nerdy names, like from the X-Files or the Avengers." She rocked back and forth a bit. "Why?"

Castiel reached out and fiddled a bit with one of the badges. "I…" He paused, wondering if he should continue, but Charlie gave him an encouraging look. He squared his shoulders. "Names are important. For eons, I was simply known by my name, Castiel." He found that he couldn't look at her. "But now, it is not so. Most refer to me as Cas. And all those I've encountered while hunting, getting work, or even just driving," he gestured at the IDs, "do not even know anything close to my name." The angel looked forlornly at them.

"I have encountered several angels who say that I am not truly one anymore. That when they look at me, they do not see an angel. That I simply do not belong." He curled up a bit, without even really noticing. "Does this mean I am not Castiel anymore? Somewhere along the way, whether during my travels or because of these, have I somehow stopped being me? Who am I then? What am I?"

He stopped speaking, and Cas already felt like he had said too much. He had never talked so much about his worries or his fears, and this one especially had plagued him ever since he had first rebelled against Heaven to stop the Apocalypse. At Charlie's silence, Castiel began to panic a bit inside. He never should have said anything. He had burdened Charlie, and he never should have –

His thoughts stopped as Charlie's arms gently wrapped around him.

"Oh, Castiel." Charlie said quietly and she dropped her head onto his shoulder. "As Shakespeare once put it, 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' And that goes for you, too." Her grip tightened a fraction. "From what you've told me in the past, Heaven has always tried to stop you from being who you really are, suppressed the crap out of you. But still, you've always come back. You're always you. That's why it doesn't matter what you're called; you're still Castiel, Cas, a dorky angel who cares about humanity, is curious about everything, and wants to help others so badly that you don't care about what you lose in the process. That's who you are."

Castiel sat, stunned. No one had ever told him that before. Of course, he did know the Bard's work, but he had never thought to apply it to himself. Suddenly, it felt like something had rolled off his shoulders.

"I know this must have been hard for you." Charlie continued. "After all, you always try to protect everyone else and keep to yourself in order not to bother us. But who protects you? Quite frankly, you've learned a bit too much from Dean when it comes to bottling things up. So, thank you for sharing this with me."

Cas didn't know why she was thanking him when it should have been the other way around. He felt somewhat relieved by her words and wished he could return the favor. Still, he hesitantly placed his hands over hers where they had wrapped around him, and for a while they just sat there together, until Dean finally started bellowing for them to come to supper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Bit more serious this time. I think that even with all that's been going on, Cas could easily be going through his mid-life crisis still. Besides, people keep on pointing out that he's not much of an angel, and this whole name thing has been going on for a long time. I don't know if Cas would bring this up with Dean due to the fact that 1. he sees the Winchesters as his to protect, 2. he wouldn't want to burden them, and 3. Charlie can offer a more objective point of view since she wasn't actually there for most of the crap they went through. Thus, it ends up this way. Next chapter will be more light-hearted though, I promise.


	10. To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation about Star Trek leads to Charlie to learn more about Castiel's own spacey adventures.

"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship _Enterprise_. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."

Charlie blinked as she heard the famous opener as she entered the motel room. Looking over she saw that, sure enough, the TV was on and Cas was watching the original Star Trek series. She smiled at how entranced the angel was even though the effects were way old.

_Star Trek_ had been one of the things that Metatron had included in his repertoire. However, Cas had managed to get hooked on the original series when Charlie had convinced him to watch it with her. He loved Spock, and Charlie got the feeling that he could identify with the half-Vulcan's plight of having one foot in two different worlds. He had quickly watched all of the original series, the animated series, the original movies, and the reboot movies.

Privately, and out of Dean's earshot, Castiel had admitted that while he loved the two versions, the original and the reboot, almost equally, he preferred Chris Pine's portrayal of Kirk better than William Shatner's. Charlie had laughed because she knew that Dean would have considered that a blasphemy.

Unfortunately, the downside of all this was that Charlie had been unable to get the angel to move on to some of the later series of Star Trek. She had a feeling that he would like Data almost as much as Spock if he gave it a chance. He wouldn't budge though.

"Hey," she called out, setting her supper on the rickety table.

Cas grunted and didn't look away from the television until the commercials finally came on. Then, he turned to her. "I trust your trip to the convenience store was satisfactory." He eyed the meal that she was setting into the room's microwave, but made no moves towards it. She knew that she should keep a sharp eye though, since the angel had gained a bad habit of stealing tidbits of food he hadn't had while human to try them out.

Luckily, he tended not to do this when there was something he was interested in on TV or when he was immersed in a book.

"Yep. There was a weird person giving me the side-eye though as I left. Your car stands out a bit, you know?" Charlie sat down on the bed next to Cas to eat her food. They were waiting for midnight, as that was the time that their ghost would appear, so they had some time to relax. She was perfectly fine with watching some good, old sci-fi while they waited.

"I like it." The angel defended his car. The redhead rolled her eyes. They wouldn't have had this problem if Charlie's car hadn't been totaled when a teenage zombie took it for a joyride. Still, it was too late to do anything about it, so she dropped it.

She immediately perked up as the show came back on. "Oh, 'Amok Time.'" She giggled a bit. "Gene Roddenberry's way of telling fangirls that he loves them." At Cas's glance, she gave him a knowing smile. "This episode is full of subtext over Spock and Kirk's relationship."

Cas's eyes lit up. "Oh, you mean how the two of them are in love?"

Charlie spat out her food and started coughing. He gave her a worried glance, but she waved him away. She would never have expected the angel of all people to notice it. When it came to subtle hints, he often didn't pick up on them. Still, given his skills in metaphor finding, the nerd supposed that she shouldn't have been too surprised.

As her coughing died down, the angel continued. "It is fairly obvious in how they act with each other and how they look at each other. Spock is more open with the Captain and allows him to touch him, despite his touch telepathy. Kirk is openly affectionate and is more visibly affected by Spock being in danger than any other crewmember." He frowned at the screen. "I simply do not understand why the Captain would continue being with other women when he obviously has Spock. I feel that this was part of the reason Spock left in the time between the end of their first five-year mission and the first movie."

Charlie nodded her agreement. "But you do have to remember that this was made during the late 60s and I'm pretty sure that homosexuality was still illegal then, which is why they had to keep it mostly as subtext." She held up a hand to forestall Cas's next question, which would surely be about trying to make a way of being illegal. "It's mostly fine now, so it doesn't really matter. Still, Roddenberry was really bold himself in all of the breakthroughs and portrayals he did on this show, and I'm surprised he managed to get away with it. But there is a reason why Spirk is considered the Father of Slash."

"He didn't get away with it." Cas pointed out, returning his attention to the television. "After all, there are only three seasons."

"Yeah." Charlie settled in to enjoy the show.

It was after she had finished her meal and thrown away her trash, as Kirk and Spock rolled around on the ground, that she spoke again. "It would be cool to go to another planet." She said, wistfully. "I do like my Middle Earth and Land of Oz, but trekking among the stars would be cool too."

"Hmm." Cas hummed, his eyes never leaving the screen. The concentration he was giving it was almost like he was studying it. "There are many wondrous views that are not on Earth. I used to enjoy watching the Sun rise over the planets while sitting on among Saturn's rings. It is both beautiful and breath-taking." He paused. "Though even while I was in my vessel, I did not breath there anyway." He turned and frowned as Charlie slipped off the bed and tumbled to the floor with a small thump. "Are you all right?" He asked.

Charlie stared at him in shock. "You've been to Saturn." She wasn't sure if she was asking that or saying that, but the angel took it as a question.

"Yes." His brow furrowed. "Are you sure you're all right?" Castiel reached down and helped her back on the bed.

"So, you can travel through space?" Charlie was reeling from the news. Distantly, a part of her told her she should have known this. After all, Castiel was ancient. There was no way he could have been on Earth all of that time. Besides that, he also was normally a multi-dimensional wavelength of celestial intent. It really shouldn't be so surprising.

"Yes, and time occasionally as well." Charlie found herself laughing uncontrollably, which seemed to alarm Cas. The episode of Star Trek continued to play, but neither of them was paying attention to it.

"I'm friends with a freaking TARDIS." The redhead managed to huff out between gasps of air.

Castiel's frown deepened for a moment. "I am not a blue police box." He said adamantly. That sentence made Charlie laugh again. "Besides, I would like to think that my skills are more reliable than the TARDIS's."

"Yeah." Charlie wiped the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. She felt great from all of that laughing. "I'm sure you are." She reached up and gave Cas a pat on the shoulder. Sitting up, she looked at the TV and Cas followed her gaze, so they both saw as Spock smiled and practically hugged Kirk.

"So, traveling all over the solar system must be nice." Charlie said as the credits began to roll.

"And outside of it as well." Cas said. "There is some very interesting vegetation over in the Andromeda galaxy. I'm sure Sam would find it interesting."

"Yeah. I bet." Charlie dryly said. Then, she sat up straight as a thought occurred to her. "Hey, Cas," she asked in a shaky voice as he turned towards her, "are aliens real?"

Castiel stared at her for a moment before the tips of his mouth curved up into a smile. He turned towards that TV and started flipping through channels to find something else to watch.

"Wait, what does that mean?" He still didn't respond. "Cas? Cas? Castiel? What does that mean!"

No much how she bugged him, the angel never did answer that question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I really don't think that angels are limited to staying on Earth. Considering how large the universe is and that angels are supposed to watch out for all of God's creation, it wouldn't make sense if they could only look after Earth. Metatron even offered to go to a different planet and never bother Earth and humans ever again. Personally, I think that Cas generally stayed on Earth as it was where he was assigned, though he may have visited other places. I read this one Christmas fic that's pretty good that described Cas watching the sunrise from Saturn and then he gave Dean a rock from there and Sam a plant from the Andromeda galaxy. Still, whether or not there are aliens is the real mystery. Also, I'm a fan of the reboot and original Star Trek, but I've seen a few episodes of the Next Generation lately and think that it's good too. If you haven't noticed Spock and Data are my favorites.


	11. A Whole New World (of Movies)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie learns that Cas has never been to the movie theater. Not only that but he's never seen a Disney movie.

"I'd like to say that I'm surprised by this." Charlie was saying. "But I'm actually not."

The angel looked at her. His brow furrowed. "But you were surprised by the ice cream."

She turned to look at him and Cas noticed her slight scowl. "Yeah, but," she gestured up at the board displaying the choices, "I would think that Dean would have taken you to the movies at some point. He loves them and he took you to a brothel once, for Pete's sake!"

Castiel could feel a slight blush rising in his cheeks as he remembered the den of iniquity. Even all these years later, it still made him uncomfortable thinking about it. He thought he would have gotten over that considering he had now experienced sex, but it really didn't change anything. "What are we going to see?" He asked, hoping to change the topic.

Charlie smirked a bit. Occasionally, Cas had found, she enjoyed teasing him much like Dean had a tendency to do. Then, her smirk turned into a smile as she looked up at the films currently playing.

" _Inside Out_." She said, firmly. "I've been wanting to see it, because not only is it Disney and Pixar, but it also is based on actual neuroscience."

"Really?" Cas looked at the movie poster for it curiously. He had seen commercials for it while watching television, but he had never really thought about going to see it. "And these are animated, like Looney Toons?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah. Wait, have you not seen any Disney movies? Or Pixar?" Charlie had that aghast expression on her face that had first shown when he had admitted to not having seen any of the movies or books that Metatron had placed in his head.

"No." While he could find some references to them, Castiel could not find any actual movies or books.

He tilted his head a bit as Charlie seemed to be having trouble breathing. "Charlie?" He asked tentatively. _What on Earth is wrong?_

"How could this…" Charlie's voice trailed off. Her voice was quite faint. "How could Metatron not like Disney and Pixar? He must truly be evil."

Castiel reached out for her, as she was looking a bit pale. He didn't understand the significance of what was going on, but it had clearly struck her hard. "Is something wrong?" He asked aloud this time.

"I'll put them on the list." Charlie looked him in the eye, and a steely resolve was growing. The Charlie that Cas knew was back. "You, me, and a Disney marathon that will last weeks."

"Okay." He said, because he could tell this was as futile as when he had told her he didn't need to read the Harry Potter books.

"Right then." She nodded, and began walking to the ticket booth. Cas followed behind, as per usual curious about a common human custom.

"What is the difference between watching a movie in a theater and watching it at home or on TV?" He asked out loud as they settled in their seats. Charlie had foregone getting snacks like other patrons, denouncing them as overpriced and something that would draw attention away from the movie.

"Remember how we talked about shared experiences?" He nodded, and Charlie continued with a gesture across the theater. "Well, going to the movies is one way to share an experience. It's a lot of fun if you go with someone you know, but even if you're by yourself, you get the feeling that you have something in common with other people."

"Ah." Cas thought about it. There was something bugging him though. "But doesn't that happen with television as well. People often talk about something they have watched."

"True, but the main sticking point of going to the movies is that you're doing it together and can hear their reactions." Charlie shrugged. "It's also cool to see it right when it comes out so you can avoid spoilers and don't have to wait for it to come out on blue-ray and DVD."

"I see." He looked up at the screen, which was showing local advertisements for those who came early. Castiel decided to just go with what Charlie was saying, since he often had trouble getting such human concepts anyway. Therefore, it was best to move on. "What is the film about?"

"It's basically focusing on a girl and how her emotions interact and influence her behavior from what I can tell." Charlie said, looking excited. It was almost infectious. "Like I said, the makers did a lot of research into how the brain and emotions work to try to bring some accuracy into the movie. It should be interesting." She glanced over at Cas. "In any case, it's Pixar so it's probably going to be good. There's only a couple bad movies in their portfolio."

Castiel turned his attention back to the screen, which was asking for people to silence their cell phones since the film would start soon. Sure enough, within a few minutes the room darkened and the previews began to roll.

The previews were okay, though he couldn't help but think that he would probably only see one or two of them from Charlie's reaction. Instead, he became a lot more interested in the animated short that happened before the actual movie. Charlie had explained while walking in how Pixar had always had a short since they had first started, though Disney had later picked it up.

Quite frankly, he had never thought he would feel so emotional even before the movie started.

Then, of course, the movie was starting.

And it was amazing.

Castiel would admit that he loved cartoons. Ever since Dean had introduced them to him, in an effort for him to understand the Bugs Bunny reference, the angel had been entranced by them. Their bright colors and ability to go beyond what live action could do was appealing. And even in this setting, with the characters larger than life and the feeling of sharing this with his friend, it seemed even better. Of course, Charlie had brought him to see the 2D version of the film, but even still it looked like the characters could walk right off of the screen.

And don't even get Cas on the story. It was beautiful.

By the time the two of them left the theater, the angel could definitely see the appeal of going to the movie theater.

"So, what'd you think?" Charlie asked as they settled down with sandwiches at the nearest Subway.

"I can see what you were talking about how it is enjoyable to share an experience with other people even if you do not know them." Cas said, tucking into his BLT. "I liked it. The interactions between the different emotions were amusing." He frowned. "Though I did not like how they treated Sadness as a nuisance."

"Yeah." Charlie wrinkled her nose. "I didn't really like that either. After all, we need sadness in order to truly appreciate happiness." She gave him a knowing look. "But something else is bothering you." It wasn't a question.

Castiel sighed. He should have known he wouldn't be able to hide it. Charlie excelled at calling people out on what she termed "BS." "I thought that their take on emotions was interesting." He said.

"I got that."

"However, angels aren't supposed to have emotions, or at least not show them." The angel put down his sandwich. It's not like he had been hungry anyway. "My sister Anna once told Dean that we didn't have them. He believed her, though he should have known better given the blatant disgust Uriel had always shown for humanity." He paused. "I think I've always had emotions. I believe that was part of the reason Naomi always had to 'correct' me. Maybe not in the same way as humans, as they were stronger after Metatron stole my Grace." He looked down at his hands. "However, since turning back into an angel and since getting my Grace back, they have not diminished in their intensity."

"So, basically, the fact you have emotions is something you usually don't think about, but the movie brought it to the forefront." Charlie summed up. "So what if you have them? I think they make you a better person." She shrugged. "Though like you said, I don't know why Dean actually bought that. The evidence was seriously right in front of his nose."

"I wonder if my emotions are like that. Nothing more than a perception of seeing the world." Cas mused. As he had said, it was an interesting take on how emotions affect someone. Though if that was what it was like for humans, then maybe it would be similar for angels. The credit clips had given him some hope for that.

"Personally, I wonder who would be in the driver's seat. Or what my core memories are that make up my personality islands." Charlie countered, and Cas could feel a smile twitching on his face.

"Those are probably the real questions." Cas agreed, though he thought that Charlie would have Joy leading her emotions due to her jubilant personality. Dean would probably have Anger in the hot seat, and Sam would have Anger as well perhaps. After all, though Sam was usually the more levelheaded of the two, he was frightening when he was angered.

Cas had no clue who would be the main emotion in his mind.

Still, as Charlie launched into a rant about how each emotion probably affected her personality, Castiel knew that despite the little melancholy raised from the "Angels Don't Have Emotions" debate, this memory would probably be a brilliant yellow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I loved Inside Out, so I decided it would be Cas's first movie in a theater. It's a tradition in my family to have a Disney movie being the first one (my sister saw The Lion King, I saw Pocahantas, and my brothers saw Tarzan). I do think that a life without at least some Disney is a bit deprived, though it is not necessarily a sign of evil (though it probably is). Anyway, I also thought that given its focus on emotions, it was a good thing to touch on with Cas since he does have emotions despite being an angel. Also, to the person who suggested Jurassic World, I haven't seen it, so I couldn't write about it, but I may borrow Jurassic Park sometime down the line so Cas can talk about dinosaurs.


	12. A Sam and Charlie Tale - The Destiel Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie puzzles over the issue that is Destiel.

Charlie had been a nerd ever since her mother had read her _The Hobbit_ when she was still in diapers. She still was even though she had also gained the titles of hacker, hunter, and queen. It was a part of her very being.

Which was quite fine and dandy especially in this age. There was no better time to be a nerd. Still, it was what came with being a nerd that could she could do without at the moment.

She was without a doubt a fangirl, as well as a shipper. And as the saying goes, a shipper has got to ship. The real problem was that there was a perfect ship right there before her nose.

"How do you deal with this?" Charlie asked Sam. He looked up from his laptop and gave her a quizzical look. "I was just in the kitchen with them and I couldn't even last 10 minutes without someone else there to help even the odds."

"Oh." Sam blinked at her. "You mean, Dean and Cas."

"Yes!" She stabbed a finger at him. "How do you deal with their…" The redhead gestured wildly. "You know. You have to know. You've been here all these years." She gave Sam a pleading look.

Sam sighed and closed his laptop. "Yes, I know what you mean." He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back. "Believe it or not, you just get used to it eventually." The hunter shrugged. "I kept expecting them to go somewhere, but I got used to the disappointment."

He grinned, a bit of the mischievous younger brother in him coming out. "It does make great material for teasing Dean though."

Charlie snorted. "Yeah, as if you never had any feelings for a certain Trickster archangel."

"What?"

"Anyway, that's an issue for another time." The redhead waved that topic away. "Right, now let's focus on Destiel."

"Oh, so you know their ship name?" At Charlie's questioning glance, Sam continued. "We had a case where some high school girls made a musical based off of us. It got weird in the second act what with the aliens and stuff, but they did incorporate some Destiel in it." He frowned a bit. "How do you know it?"

"Sam." She leaned into his space and seriously said, "I am a Goddess on the Internet, and a nerd who read the _Supernatural_ books online. I think the bigger question is how would I not know."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess there is that."

"I can't believe you haven't done anything until now." Charlie finally sat down, having calmed down enough.

"It's been tempting." Sam admitted. "Especially ever since they got back from Purgatory. I mean, it was never all to hidden, but after that, they threw subtlety out the window." He winched. "Though I don't think I really helped when I was possessed by Gadreel. Dean kicked Cas out because of that. And then with the Mark and hiding the fact we were still looking for a cure…"

"Yeah." Charlie sighed and rested her head in her hands. "If Cas had stayed they probably would have gotten together already." She looked up. "Sam."

Sam noticed the look on her face. "No."

"Oh, come on." She whined. The redhead knew what she was doing but she didn't care. "You know you want to."

"No." Sam stood firm. "We'll let them figure it out in their own time."

"If they were going to figure things out, they would have done it already." Charlie pointed out.

"Maybe, but we've got to have faith in them. You're the one who is always saying that we Winchesters can do anything that we put our minds to."

"Yeah, when it comes to saving the world." Charlie said. "When it comes to your love lives, you both are completely hopeless." Sam opened his mouth to protest. She countered before he could say a word. "Ruby."

Sam shut his mouth and then huffed out a small laugh. "Okay, you got me there, but you have probably noticed that Dean doesn't even seem to realize he's bi. He'd totally freak out if we started interfering which is why I don't."

"But, Sam…"

"But nothing." Sam said firmly, and Charlie pouted a bit over Winchester stubbornness.

"It's just bugging me though." Charlie muttered. She slumped over the table. "Maybe you can stand it as Dean's brother, but I have trouble both as a fangirl and Cas's friend." Sam looked at her strangely at that.

He sighed. "Maybe if one of them actually makes a move." The redhead perked up at that, but Sam held up a finger. "But only then, understand?"

"Aye Aye!" Charlie saluted him with a smile.

"Charlie!" Castiel entered the room holding a plate of hamburger patties in one hand and buns and some toppings in the other. He smiled as he proudly set them down at the table. "Dean taught me how to make burgers."

"Yeah, and he wasn't too bad for a guy who doesn't even have to eat." Dean followed the angel into the room holding plates and some drinks.

As Dean and Cas went into their normal routine of staring deeply into each other's eyes, Sam and Charlie exchanged their own glance. Charlie pinched herself a bit in order to control herself.

The two of them would get through this. And if Sam could survive over six years of these sorts of antics, then Charlie could too.

Though, in all seriousness, Charlie truly believed that the Destiel problem needed to be solved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, I ship Destiel. I also have a belief that Sam wants Cas and Dean to get together as well. I also think that Charlie would see what most fangirls see and would also ship them and try to get them together. Therefore, Cas is only mentioned in this story while Charlie tries to gain Sam's help. This is sort of a prelude to a different idea for a story on my list where Cas will discover Destiel and ask Dean about it, but will end with Charlie explaining it.


	13. Angels Are Watching Over You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie has nightmares. Castiel watches over her.

Blood was on her hands. She didn't care though as she had finally killed the man responsible for her parents' deaths. It was because of him that she had had to run for so long, and a dark thrill went through her. However, at the same time, she was staring at the blood on her hands and could feel nothing but horror at the fact that she was capable of this.

Suddenly the scene shifted and changed. Her heart was pounding as she hurriedly tried to send the information that would save Dean to Sam. She felt a sense of relief as it went through, but it disappeared as the steps came closer. The Stynes were closing in on her. As she stood she felt a touch of regret. She never should have left the safe house where Cas would have protected her, and he would surely blame himself for this. It was too late as she readied herself by taking a stance and lifting her knife just as the door was kicked in.

She was confused though, and her hand dropped a bit. There in the doorway was not one of the Stynes, but Dick Roman, her old boss, the Leviathan Head. He smiled at her and took a step forward. In her panic, she threw her knife at him, lodging it in his chest. He looked down at it and smirked as he drew it out, black goo following in its wake.

Dick looked back up at her. "Oh, Charlie," he gave her a false smile. "Did you really think you could run from me?" He stepped closer and she backed up as far she could go. "You knew that we would catch up to you someday." He was right in front of her, a liar's smile stretched across his face. "Sorry, but despite your unique spark, you know too much."

She screamed as the mouth widened and dozens of sharp teeth came at her, about to eat her.

Charlie gave a loud gasp as she sat up in bed. She breathed heavily for a moment, looking around her and gathering her surroundings. She calmed down as she realized that she was in her room at the Bunker, safe. Her hand came up to rest on her forehead.

_Where did that come from?_ Charlie hadn't thought of the Leviathans in ages, much less had a nightmare about them. _Maybe with what's been going on in the past year…_ She mused.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and she found herself jumping a bit. She looked towards the door as it cracked open a bit.

"Charlie?" Castiel's rough voice called out quietly from the door. He stuck his head in and looked at her.

"Oh, hey, Cas." Charlie hated how wobbly her voice sounded, and hoped that the angel wouldn't notice.

He did. Cas frowned and entered the room, shutting the door behind him as Charlie turned on the lamp next to her bed.

"I thought I heard something." Cas said, his eyes looking her over. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Charlie insisted. After all, she didn't want to bug Cas over something so small. "Just a nightmare." She said.

Worry pinched his face. "Ah, nightmares." He nodded a bit to himself, looking far too understanding. "I had quite a few while I was human." His eyes turned sharp in their studying of her. "Therefore, I know that it probably was not 'just' a nightmare."

She felt an urge to curse at his insight. The nerd found herself looking away, unable to look him in the eye. Instead, she looked at the Hermione Funko Pop Figurine.

She felt a slight dip in the bed as Cas sat on the edge. "I have been told that talking occasionally helps though I've never seen that method in practice." Charlie huffed out a laugh as yeah, talking really wasn't how the Winchesters dealt with things.

"I really don't want to." Charlie admitted.

Castiel was quiet for a while. "It is still quite early. You should get some more sleep." He suggested, and his tone was kind and gentle.

"No way." Charlie looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I don't I can get anymore."

It wasn't just the fact that Dick had been there, though he was the one who set her on the road that lead her here. There were also the Stynes and what her darker part had done when she had split herself. She didn't want to even think about those things, much less dream about them. Charlie knew that that didn't really solve the problem, avoiding things like this, but she couldn't help it.

Cas had a pondering look on his face. "I suppose that if you are having difficulties you could count some sheep." He suggested. "However, I've never been able to locate any sheep for this endeavor, so I cannot help you there." He seemed truly confused over where one was supposed to find sheep to count.

Charlie couldn't help it. She giggled a bit. "The sheep are in your imagination, Cas."

His face lit up in realization. "Oh." He then looked, for lack of a better word, sheepish. "That makes sense."

"I guess." Charlie yawned a bit, though she still didn't want to fall back asleep. She wondered if she could go grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen.

"You should rest." Cas quietly insisted, the worry back in his eyes.

"But I don't want to have another nightmare." Charlie admitted just as softly. It felt a bit wrong, because it very human to try to hide weakness. Still, she knew that the angel wouldn't judge her for it.

"You won't." Castiel stood and grabbed the chair from her desk. He brought it over and set it down beside her bed where he planted himself in it. "Because I'll watch over you."

Charlie blinked, surprised. She never would have thought that Cas would extend such an offer to her, even if they were close friends. The redhead felt reassured though, and chuckled a bit as she settled back down under her covers. "I thought you only did that for Dean." She teased.

"You are also important to me." He said. "I won't let harm come to you even if it's from your own mind."

With that, Charlie closed her eyes. After all, what could be more reassuring than having Dean Winchester's angel watching over your sleep?

No more nightmares plagued Charlie that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Given what happens to them, I think everyone in Supernatural probably has had nightmares at one point or another. Charlie's gone through a lot though in her short time of dealing with the supernatural. Cas has already shown a tendency of watching people sleep, so I think he would extend this courtesy to Charlie as she is his friend. However, I don't really see them talking about their nightmares. They've learned too much from the Winchesters.


	14. Why Are They Enemies?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel asks for help understanding one of the oldest debates: Marvel vs DC.

Cas looked down at the comments section of the video he had watched. He was on Youtube and he had found the videos on this particular channel to be entertaining. Yet as he read these little snippets of people's thought, he grew more confused and a bit worried.

Surely, this couldn't be true, right?

There was only one person who could answer such questions.

Cas quickly called Charlie.

"What?" She sounded somewhat sleepy, and the angel quickly glanced at the clock. His heart sunk a bit as he realized that it was only 7 o'clock.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" He asked. During his time as a human, Castiel had learned the true value of sleep as well as how unpleasant it was to be awoken.

"A bit, yeah." He could almost imagine the way she was rubbing her eyes in order to fully wake. "But it's fine." Charlie yawned down the line, and Cas was slightly grateful that he had decided to call her. If he had woken up Dean, he surely would have received a loud lecture at the very least.

"It is not a pressing matter. I can call back later." The least the angel could do was let her get back to sleep.

"Like I said, it's fine. I would have to get up soon anyway." There was the sound of some shifting. "So, what's up?"

Castiel pressed his lips together. Now that he thought about it, it was sort of juvenile to worry about such a thing. It almost made him reluctant to continue, but he had already come this far. "Is it true that I cannot like both Marvel and DC?"

There was a stunned pause. "What?"

"I was reading comments under a video regarding the Captain America movie that is being filmed." Cas explained. "There are some very…" He really couldn't describe some of these comments. "Malicious feelings over whether Marvel or DC is better. I could understand a friendly rivalry as they both use the same mediums to portray their characters and stories. However," he looked over some of the most volatile remarks, "some of these do not seem to be good-intentioned." He frowned at them.

Charlie sighed. "Yeah, the whole Marvel vs. DC debate has been going on for decades. With all of the competition between movies, it's only gotten worse, especially since the Batman-Superman movie was originally supposed to come out at basically the same time as Captain America."

"Does this mean I cannot like both?" Cas was a bit upset at that. After all, there were appealing aspects with both companies.

"No, you can totally like both!" Charlie quickly said, probably having picked up on his distress. "It's just a bunch of morons who say that you can't. It's totally cool. I like both overall."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean sure the Marvel movies are really great and definitely ahead of DC, but the Dark Knight Trilogy was pretty good. DC also has a bunch of great animated stuff, more than Marvel I think." Charlie said, and Castiel could just picture her sitting up in bed and crossing her legs Indian style. "I personally think that's it's not exactly fair to compare the two."

"Then, why do people seem to put so much effort into arguing about it?" It was times like this that the angel began to think he would never understand humanity.

"Probably because they're idiots." She deadpanned. Before Cas could comment, she continued, "Also, some people just hold so tight to what they think that they don't even want to consider that there are other options out there. We're told that everyone has an opinion and we should respect it," he can almost see her wincing, "but we kind of suck at doing that."

"Oh, because people do not like being wrong." Castiel said, figuring it out. He smiled a bit as the nerd made a noise of confirmation.

He sighed a bit as he closed down the tab opened to YouTube. "I am glad that I can continue to like both Batman and Captain America. It would have been a hard choice if I could only like one or the other." He admitted.

"Yeah, that does sound like a toughie." Charlie agreed. "Hey, want to come over and have a Marvel marathon?"

Cas smiled. "Yes."

"I'll invite the boys, too. Avengers Assemble!" Charlie called out and laughed as she hung up the phone.

Castiel began to collect his things in order to go Charlie's place. As he did, he glanced once more at his laptop.

He still didn't quite understand why people had to argue so much over who was better, but he was glad that some people had enough sense to accept the similarities and differences and like both. Things were a lot better when people appreciated the differences.

After all, not everything was a competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I really do like both Marvel and DC in different ways, but in all seriousness? Every single official video for either franchise always seems to break into a Marvel/DC war right there in the comments section. Can't we all just get along? In any case, this is in honor of the release of Ant-Man. I'll hopefully get to see it as a birthday gift for my other brother. Unless he changes his mind to Fantastic Four of course. Still, let's just bask in the awesomeness of all of this superhero stuff coming out. See you!


	15. Today Is Your Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie is pleasantly surprised on her 30th birthday.

Charlie heard the whispers before she entered the room. Her forehead scrunched up as she stopped a moment. It didn't make much sense and she had no clue why the lights were off up ahead. Still, there was nothing to be gained by just standing there, so she forged ahead.

"Surprise!" The shouts came as the lights flickered on, making the nerd jump. In real surprise, she blinked and stared at the sight before her.

Streamers and balloons were strewn all over the library. She thought she even saw some confetti on the table, but that was not what drew most of her attention. Castiel, Dean, and Sam stood before her, smiles on their faces. The Winchesters were holding more balloons and those annoying party whistles, which the elder used to give an enthusiastic honk. Cas, on the other hand, was holding a cake with some unlit candles and the words, "Happy 30th Birthday, Charlie," over a childish drawing of a redhead seemingly battling a dragon. The funniest thing though was that the angel was actually wearing one of those pointy birthday hats on his head.

Charlie laughed at them. "Really?" She wiped a few stray tears from laughing so hard. "You guys didn't have to."

"Actually, this was Cas's idea." Dean admitted, as she was lead to a chair with a sign saying, "The Queen's Birthday Throne." She glanced at Cas in surprise.

He smiled sheepishly at her as he set the cake down and, with a wave of his hand, lit the candles. "I knew your birthday was coming up and I know that humans often celebrate it, but this was not drawn to my attention until recently. Given Claire's reaction to what I did for her birthday, I consulted her on what should be done." The angel didn't seem to mind that he had needed to ask for help. "Therefore, I followed her suggestions."

Charlie ignored the cake for a moment. "And the hat?" She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"Claire said that the hat was one of the most essential parts." Cas said that like it was orders from God himself. He turned a bit of a glare at the Winchesters who seemed to be suppressing laughs themselves. "I could not persuade Dean or Sam to wear theirs though."

Charlie could understand that, and she felt the need to applaud Claire a bit for managing to get the angel good. Not that it was nice to take advantage of his lack of knowledge of human culture, but considering that they had all done it at some point, she couldn't really talk. And the sight of the always serious angel wearing a ridiculous hat? It was priceless.

"I believe you are now meant to make a wish by blowing out the candles." Cas said with a touch of expectation. He seemed so proud to have gotten this right, that Charlie really couldn't spoil it.

She closed her eyes and thought of a wish. Then, she quickly opened them and blew out the candles.

The two men and angel broke into a rendition of "Happy Birthday," though it was clear that Cas had no clue how it went and was following the others' lead. Still, it didn't sound all that bad as Charlie might have expected. Their voices were all pretty decent.

"I'll get the ice cream!" Cas said as he scurried in the direction of the kitchen. As soon as she was out of sight, Charlie finally released the laugh that had been bubbling up since she had seen the set-up. The Winchesters joined her.

"Wow." She said as she calmed down. "I didn't expect this."

"Yeah, gotta give Claire some props for coming up with this." Dean snickered.

Her eyebrows went up with surprise. "You mean he's never done this for you?"

"Yeah, but it's not like we ever do anything for out birthdays anyway." Sam pointed out.

Realization dawned. "You guys never did anything so he didn't know he was supposed to do anything. But now?" Charlie gave them a teasing look. "You do know that now that Cas knows the 'proper' birthday protocols, he'll probably do this for you guys too."

The hunters exchanged looks of slight horror, which made Charlie laugh all over again. Of course, at that moment, Cas walked back in with tubs of vanilla and chocolate ice cream. He frowned as he studied the scene.

"What?" He asked.

Charlie waved the awkwardness away. "Nothing. They're just being weird." The angel easily accepted that answer, and the brother seemed offended by his acceptance. It all just made Charlie laugh even more.

"I also got you a gift." Castiel handed her a badly wrapped present. Then, he turned in order to serve up the cake and ice cream.

Charlie ripped off the paper with the fervor of a child at Christmas. After all, she couldn't remember the last time someone had given her a birthday present. She gave a small gasp as it was revealed. Sitting on her lap was a copy of the illustrated edition of the first Harry Potter book.

"How did you get this?" She asked softly. "This isn't supposed to be out until October."

"I have my sources." The angel was positively smirking.

Charlie hugged the book close. "Thank you." She smiled at Cas.

"Wow, now you're going to make us look bad." Sam huffed as he and Dean both handed Charlie presents that were just as badly wrapped.

"Thank you, boys." Charlie smiled and thanked them as she unveiled a new cosplay sword from Dean and a framed picture of the four of them and a devil-trapped Crowley from Sam. All of her gifts had obviously had some thought put into them and showed how well they all knew her.

With the gifts out of the way, they all dug into their treats. Charlie was surprised to learn that the cake had been made by Dean and Cas, and made sure to praise them on their obvious kitchen skills. Cas's proud smile and Dean's obvious discomfort at the compliment made her special day.

When everything had been put away and cleaned up, the four of them sat back, content.

"So when can I return the favor?" Charlie asked, turning towards the angel.

Cas frowned at her and tilted his head, causing the hat to slip a bit. Charlie snickered at the sight until he finally responded. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when's your birthday?" She rolled her eyes at the angel's obliviousness.

Comprehension dawned. "Oh, I don't have one."

There was a short silence.

"What? Really?" Dean asked, incredulous. After all, Charlie had an idea that even if they hadn't done anything in a long time, the two Winchesters used to do things for each other's birthdays when they were kids.

"Of course." Cas said like it should be obvious.

Considering how old he was, it came to Charlie that it probably should have been.

"So when you were born?" Sam asked, seeming to be intrigued by the notion.

"I wasn't born. I was created." Cas stated. "Our Father made every angel, though sometimes he made them in batches. I, on the other hand, was a singular creation, and the last one. However, that was a very long time ago." He looked around, a bit uncomfortable at the attention.

"Are you saying you're the baby of the Heavenly Host?" Charlie was a bit excited at the notion. "How long ago is long ago?"

"I am the youngest, yes." Cas admitted, still uncomfortable with her enthusiasm from what the nerd could see. "As for how long, that would be difficult to determine as the concept of days and years had not been developed yet."

"Can you give us a bit of a ballpark estimate?" Charlie turned to see that Sam was actually taking a few notes. She frowned, because even for her, that seemed a bit extreme.

"Well," Cas frowned as though searching through his memories for something to give them an idea. "Ah." His face brightened. "When I was the equivalent of a human toddler, Gabriel took a group of us fledglings and young ones to the seashore. I almost accidentally stepped on the first fish to crawl out of the sea since Balthazar and Uriel were chasing me, but luckily, Gabriel prevented me from doing so." He looked lost in his memories, so he didn't see everyone else's jaws dropping.

_Seriously?_ Charlie thought as she managed to shut her mouth with an audible click. _That is really a freaking long time ago. And he was a toddler!_ That stopped her train of thought as she imagined what Cas might have looked like as a toddler.

It was adorable.

She shook those thoughts away as she came back to the matter that had started this. "Then, pick a day."

"Hmm?" Cas looked at her quizzically, obviously having his own mind drawn back from ages ago.

"If you don't have a birthday, then pick a day. After all, everyone should have a birthday." Charlie said. The Winchesters nodded to back her up.

"But I wasn't born." His brow furrowed.

"But more than celebrating that you're born, you're birthday is a way of saying, 'hey, I've survived another year.' After all, with our lives, that's a definite reason to celebrate." Dean cut in, though he shrugged when they all glanced over at them. "Just saying."

Charlie had to admit that with this crew, that was only too true.

Castiel was quiet, mulling it over. "Any day I want?" He looked around for confirmation.

"Any day you want." Charlie assured him.

"I want my birthday to be September 18." Cas said firmly, sure in his decision.

The date sounded vaguely familiar to Charlie, though she couldn't place why. So, she decided to ask him. "Any particular reason?"

Cas smiled. "That's the day that I resurrected Dean."

Charlie blinked. She didn't glance over at the boys to see their reactions, but she could see them stiffen in her peripherals.

"It was a Thursday, which is my day." He continued. "And it was also the day when I took this vessel." Cas glanced down at himself. "It was a very big day." He concluded.

Dean was the first to respond. "Sure, great day." He muttered, and the redhead couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

Sam also said something about it being a good choice, but Charlie was the one who went over and hugged the angel.

"It's perfect." She said. "I'll make sure to get you something good, though I have no clue how we're going to get billions of candles on a cake." Charlie teased.

Cas smiled again, and hummed slightly. "In any case, that is not for a while yet." He said.

"So, Happy Birthday, Charlie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I think Charlie would have a summer birthday. The show tells us what year she was born, but not what day, so I decided that it should be in summer. Maybe not necessarily today, but sometime in July or August. I got the idea for this when my brothers had their birthday in June and I thought about how my sister's birthday was in August. Then, it occurred to me that Cas didn't have a birthday, so I thought the day he resurrected Dean was best since he truly came to Earth after that. Maybe when it comes time I'll write a fic about Cas throwing the boys parties on their birthdays.


	16. Like Spock and the Tribbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Cas finds a box of kittens, he finds that he can't leave them behind.

If Castiel wasn't an angel, he was sure that he wouldn't have heard them.

He and Charlie were working a case together, and he had been sent out to get supper, as the nerd had been busy hacking into the security cameras around the crime scene. It was on his way back that he passed the alleyway and heard a very, very soft sound.

Cas stopped and peered down the dank pathway. He frowned as he heard the sound once more, and cautiously stepped into the alley. As he moved closer to the noise, he recognized it, but in a way, that just made him more confused.

Finally, he came across a box from which the sound was emanating, and he realized that there was obviously more than one thing in there. The angel crouched down in order to inspect it, but it didn't seem to be a trap. Gently, Castiel undid the flaps at the top of the box and revealed what was inside.

Four small kittens blinked up at him.

Castiel blinked right back in confusion. _Why are there kittens here? Why were they just left in a box in an alleyway?_ He wondered as the largest of the four, a black and brown striped cat, cautiously came to the side closes to him and sniffed at him. Its green eyes looked at him suspiciously.

"Hello." He said softly. After all, that was the protocol when encountering someone new, right?

The large kitten seemed to deem him safe enough as it used the side of the box to stand on its back legs and sniff closer to his face. The angel took the opportunity to look at the other kittens.

The next largest was a bit tubbier than the first kitten and had hazel eyes. It didn't seem to care much as it just took one look at him and flopped over. The one lying next to it was mostly black with white paws and had blue eyes. At seeing the angel's gaze on it, this one stood and came up next to the first, meowing pitifully. The final kitten was an orange fluff ball as well as the smallest. Its hazel eyes seemed excited as it bounded right over to Cas.

Castiel's heart melted at the sight of them. He reached out a hand towards the kittens, and after letting them get a good sniff, he tentatively started to pet them. "Where is your mother?" He asked them, though they probably wouldn't respond. He took a look around, trying to see any signs of a mother or a person. Surely, they would have just abandoned these tiny creatures?

Yet it seemed that someone had. Cas looked back at the kittens. He couldn't just leave them here, but he wasn't sure what exactly he should do.

As the cloudy sky above began to spit out drops of rain though, the decision was made for him. "Hold on," he told the kittens as he closed the flaps, adjusted the bag of food higher up on his arm, and then carefully lifted the box. It wasn't all that heavy, but he could feel the four moving around as he left the alley and continued back to the hotel room.

Charlie was still tapping away at her tablet when he walked in. She didn't even bother to look up as she said, "Thanks for the grub," and held out her hand.

Castiel put down the box on his bed and then reached into bag to hand her the food. She unwrapped it and automatically started eating, still engrossed in her work.

Meanwhile, the angel frowned into the bag. He would probably have to go back out to get the kittens some appropriate food. They would probably be content with some pieces of deli meat from his sandwich for now, but they needed something more substantial. Cas picked out some pieces that were small enough for them, and then he opened the box again.

The moment they saw his face, the kittens meowed again, and Charlie stopped dead in her tracks.

"Cas, did you just – " She turned around and stopped, with her mouth wide open at the sight. The angel could understand that.

Somehow, in the few moments between them meowing and her turning around, the kittens had jumped out of the box before he could feed them and scrambled up onto him. The largest one was on his head. The black one was on his shoulder and the orange one was trying to leap out of his arms. The tubby one had just contented itself with lying down on Cas's knee that was on the bed, and was looking too pleased with itself. The angel had no idea how they had moved so fast.

Charlie blinked and Cas and the kittens blinked back. "Are those kittens?" The redhead asked skeptically, as if she didn't believe her own eyes.

"Yes." Castiel said back. It's not like he could deny it considering that the evidence was hanging off him.

"Where did you get kittens?" She seemed confused, sending a glance at the box on the bed.

"I heard them while I was passing the alley they were in." He looked down at them and missed the pitiful look that Charlie was now giving them. "I do not know why they were in a box in such a place, but it seemed that their caretaker was not around. So I brought them with me."

"Cas," Charlie said gently with a sad smile. He looked up at her. "They were probably abandoned."

Cas blinked at her. _Abandoned?_ "Why?" He couldn't understand why someone would just leave them alone, especially as they were not yet old enough to take care of themselves.

Charlie shrugged. "I don't really know." A disgusted look crossed her face at the thought. "Sometimes, people unexpectedly find themselves with kittens or puppies, and they don't want them so they just leave them in alleys or gas stations or other places."

That really didn't make it any clearer as to why someone would do that, but Castiel could understand the sentiment behind the action. _They're unwanted._ Cas clutched the kittens closer to him. After all, he could understand that feeling all too well.

The orange one meowed and he started to pet it. He felt the bed dip as Charlie came to sit next to him. "So, what are you going to do now?" She started petting the tubby one.

"I'll take them back to the Bunker. I can keep them." Cas stated, determined. "I have received instruction on how to care for cats. While I was human, I accidentally went down a pet food aisle and a lady there explained all of the merits of different cat food and care."

Charlie chuckled. "The good old neighborhood crazy cat lady." Cas wasn't sure what that meant so he ignored it. Then she stopped. "But Dean's allergic to cats."

"I can fix that." It wouldn't be that hard to do with his Grace.

"We all travel a lot, so there's no guarantee that there will always be someone around to feed them." Charlie pointed out.

"I can take them with me." Cas looked up at her. He really liked these kittens and he didn't want them to feel like they had been abandoned again.

"Oh, Cas, don't give me those eyes." Charlie whined.

He blinked and tilted his head a bit, upsetting the big one on his head. _What does she mean by those eyes?_ He wondered.

She sighed. "God, it's like Spock and tribbles." She grumbled. "Both of you really love furry animals. I should have seen this coming after Sam told me about the guinea pig."

Cas could feel a slight blush at the mention of that. After all, how was he, at that time, supposed to know that guinea pig was used as a colloquial phrase?

"Look," Charlie moved so that she was crouched in front of him. "I know you want them, but we won't be able to take care of them properly. So," she held up a hand to stop his protests, "I'll let you keep them until this case is done, and then we'll take them to the animal shelter in Lebanon so that way someone can take them home."

"But what if no one wants them still?" Cas asked, not wanting to let go of the kittens. After all, if animals got too old at these types of places, they sometimes had to be gotten rid of.

"Then we'll come up with something else." Charlie tried to reassure him, but it wasn't really working. "In the meantime," she bounced back up onto the bed, abandoning their work completely, "let's give these guys some names."

So Percy (the large one), Samantha (the tubby one), Sleuth (the black one), and Jasmine (the orange one) stayed with the pair for the rest of the case. Cas could admit that he got a bit attached, and he made sure to take a lot of pictures. Charlie took quite a few too. Sam thought it was adorable except for when he learned the tubby one's name, though Dean got a laugh out of that.

All too soon though, they pulled up to the animal shelter to drop off the kittens. Once inside, Cas could only marvel at the variety of animals. There was everything from bunnies and guinea pigs to dogs and cats. It saddened Cas to give up the kittens, despite the evidence that they would be well taken care of.

Charlie wasn't helping with her insistence for the angel to "stop giving me those eyes." He still had no clue what she meant.

But she facepalmed and Cas cheered up when he learned that he could volunteer any time he wanted.

Things were definitely looking up then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ever seen those fan arts where Cas finds and brings home a box of abandoned kittens? I have and I always thought it was adorable. Cas obviously loves animals and wants animal friends due to the evidence from when he was crazy, interrogating the cat, and perked up over the idea of a guinea pig. I debated making this being abandoned kitties or maybe they stop by a pet shop, but you can see what I chose. I bet you can guess what Charlie means by those eyes. And I couldn't help but make the comparison because we all know Spock's a sucker for fuzzy animals. See you later!


	17. Angel of...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When tracking down an angel, Charlie wonders how angels know what they are meant to do.

"Thank you for coming, Charlie." Castiel said once more. "Hannah asked me to look into this, but after what happened last time, Dean said I shouldn't confront other angels without back-up. I'm grateful you were available since they were not."

"No problem." Charlie waved his concerns away as she set her stuff down on one of the motel beds. She then turned to look at what Cas had already gathered. "So, what's the sitch?"

"An angel has been committing arson in the area. He has already struck here, here, and here." Castiel pointed the crime scenes out on the map that he had spread on the table as the nerd walked up. "I believe he will then strike here at this location, as he seems to be trying to form the beginning of some sort of sigil."

"Wow." Charlie gave a low whistle as she looked over the map and the pictures from the crime scenes. "Any idea of who it is? How do you know it's an angel?"

"It is my brother Jehoel." Cas grimaced a bit. "And I can tell it is an angel because I can sense at the locations that a spark of grace was used to start the fires."

"Huh." Charlie thought about the supplies she had for going against angels. Surprisingly, Cas was the only one she had met so far, but Dean had made sure she had everything just in case. From what she had read and what the hunter had said, most angels were not as friendly as Castiel. "Why would an angel be starting fires though?" She asked almost to herself. "They don't seem like the arsonist type."

"Jehoel is one of the angels of fire." A haunted look passed over the angel's face for a moment. "Also, some say that he is also meant to keep the Leviathan in check."

Charlie looked up into Cas's eyes. "Well, looks like he dropped the ball on that one." She tried to shrug past the memories of the past.

Cas gave a bitter chuckle. "Indeed." He looked down and shuffled the papers around a bit.

Charlie huffed. There had to some way to lighten the mood. Finally, a bit of her curiosity poked its head up and gave her the perfect distraction. It helped that the answer genuinely interested her. "What about you?"

Cas frowned as he looked up at her. "What about me?"

"I mean, what about you?" She gestured up and down at him. "You mentioned something about Thursday being your day before. Is that what you are?"

"Yes, I am the angel of Thursday, as well as travel and changes." The atmosphere around the angel lightened and Charlie hid a smile from accomplishing her goal. The best way to get Cas out of a funk was to put him into lecture mode.

Then, she decided not to hide her smile as what he said sunk in. "Travel and changes? No wonder you're the Winchesters' angel; that suits them to a T." She laughed as a bit of color rose in Castiel's cheeks.

"I'm also known in some circles as the angel of solitude and tears as well." He said primly, and Charlie just knew that that was to cover up his slight embarrassment at her calling him the Winchesters' angel.

That made her stop and think a bit. After all, that title sounded familiar. "I thought the angel of solitude and tears was named Cassiel. And was an archangel." Her brow furrowed as she tried to make the connection.

The angel sighed. "Cassiel is a variation of my name, and is probably more popular than my real name." He said gruffly. "However, as you know, I am no archangel. There are only four, and two are dead and the others are in the Cage."

"How did that happen?"

"Well, as you read the Winchester Gospels, I assume that you know – "

"No, no. I know that story." Charlie waved her hand. "Why do people know more about a variation of your name and only a part of you, than the real you aka Castiel?"

Castiel sighed again, and this time she recognized it as his 'why are humans so stupid sometimes' sigh. "A lot can be lost in translation." He explained. "And humans are not always the best at listening either. Someone wrote my name down wrong and when I tried to correct them, they assumed I was someone else entirely." He paused. "I got over it, I believe the term is."

"Huh." Charlie said, and the two of them got to work.

The topic wasn't picked up again until after they had found the wayward angel, convinced him to stop setting things on fire, and pointed him in the direction of the portal to Heaven to be placed in Hannah's care.

Charlie lay on her bed unable to sleep as Cas was cleaning up his things strewn across the table. She rolled over and looked at him, almost studying him. Eventually, the angel noticed.

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Charlie took another long look at him, mulling over her question. She bit her lip before she drew up her courage. "How do you know what you're the angel of?"

Cas blinked and sat back in his seat, tilting his head slightly as he thought. "One day, I simply knew." He finally said. "I did not have a clue of what I was in charge of when I was a fledgling and when I first became a full member of the Garrison, my day did not yet have a name. I think that humans who learned of what I was perhaps influenced some of the things I have dominion of. However," his eyes grew distant, "I simply knew one day, which goes against that theory."

"Like how Metatron just downloaded pop culture references into your brain?" Charlie tried to understand, but as with most things regarding angels, it was hard to find a common reference point.

"No, it was not forceful like that." Castiel explained. "It was simply a moment of clarity." He paused. "Perhaps our belief in receiving revelation from God is not so far-fetched, though most have abandoned that belief since the breaking of the seals."

"So God just let you know?"

"Perhaps." Silence fell between the two until Cas shrugged, the human gesture looking odd on him. "In any case, it has no bearing on what I am or changes anything."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Charlie wasn't entirely satisfied, but knew that she couldn't get a better answer. Even Castiel didn't fully understand how it happened.

In this case, it seemed to really be something that only God knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'll admit it, as a Lutheran I really do not know much about angels. We don't really discuss them at length or even mention them in readings. The only one that really is talked about is Gabriel. Still, I wondered about how exactly angels know what they have dominion over something and this was the result. Maybe I should have asked my Dad about it before I wrote this (he's Catholic and went to a Catholic school as a child, so he might know more). If anyone reading can shed some light on this or wants to share their thoughts, I'd be happy to hear it.


	18. Rockin' Around the Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to their obsession with Doctor Who, Cas and Charlie get some pop culture revenge against Dean.

"Run!" The Doctor yelled as he yanked Donna away from their current adversary.

Cas sat on his bed in his room and munched his way through a bowl of popcorn as he watched _Doctor Who_. He found himself loving the show with its twists and turns, though the historical inaccuracies slightly annoyed him. Charlie didn't like watching the episodes that take place in the past for the precise reason of him pointing out said errors.

The angel had a bit of free time and he had decided to marathon some of his favorite episodes. Which meant that he had been watching a lot of episodes with the 4th, 9th, 10th, and 12th Doctor. Donna was his favorite companion so far, but Sarah Jane Smith was also one of his favorites, so he was watching stuff with them in it.

A knocking noise came from his door. Castiel glanced over at it and saw Charlie smiling in the doorway. "Hey," she glanced over at the TV screen, "still at it?"

"Yes." He said as he turned back to the screen.

"I still find it funny that angels are just as prone to obsessing over TV and books as humans are." Charlie made her way into the room and plopped down on the bed next to him. "First you had a _Star Trek_ streak, and now you're marathoning _Doctor Who_."

"Hmm." Cas didn't know exactly how to respond to that, so he instead continued to watch.

"So any aliens out there that look like that?" Charlie asked nonchalantly.

Castiel's lips quirked up but he remained silent. He found Charlie's constant quest to learn what could be out there amusing. Still, there was already enough trouble on this planet as well as their dealings with the planes of existence that contain Heaven and Hell. The people of Earth didn't need anything else messing with it at this point in time.

"Fine. Don't tell me." Charlie huffed and folded her arms, her lips forming a childish pout.

Together, they watched the episode in silence.

"I can empathize with the Doctor." Cas said as the credits rolled. There were a couple minutes before the next episode started.

"Really?" Charlie said, eyebrow raised. "Well," she continued after thinking about it for a moment, "I guess you do have the whole person who frequents Earth but isn't from Earth even though he looks human thing going for you."

"It is more than that though." He frowned. Human language was so limiting sometimes. It was hard to find the words that best described his thoughts at times. "The Doctor regenerates instead of dying, and he is so old that he has had to see the passing of many of his companions."

"Ah." Realization dawned in Charlie's eyes. That was one of the things that Castiel liked about the redhead. Due to her vast experiences gained through reading, gaming, and watching TV and movies, she tended to be a lot more open-minded than the Winchesters. It also gave her many different points of view to use as references. "And angels, unless they are killed in battle or fall, can live basically forever." Her voice was sympathetic.

After all, Cas could tell that she had come to the parallel between her and the Winchesters and the Doctor's companions.

The next episode started to play. Eventually, Charlie piped up. "Hey, wanna do something that will totally bug Dean?" Her voice was light, especially after their heavy conversation, but her face showed genuine mischievousness.

"What?" Castiel asked, and he leaned in as Charlie crooked her finger to indicate he should come closer.

A smile crossed his face as he heard her plot. He knew that Sam would get it, but…

This would be payback for all of those times when Dean used references.

* * *

"Cas?"

The angel looked up from the book he was reading in the library. "Yes, Charlie?" He glanced over where Sam and Dean were sitting at the table. They were researching for their latest case.

It was the perfect time.

"My watch is broken. What time is it?" Charlie was scowling down at her wrist, but he could see the twinkle in her eye.

"It's twenty after Eccleston." Castiel said calmly. Both boys looked up, Sam with surprise and Dean with confusion.

"Oh, good." Charlie sighed in relief. "I wanted to leave by Tennant so I could run errands before a meeting I have with a friend at Capaldi."

"Uh, what?" Dean looked between the two. "Are you guys speaking code or something?"

Charlie and Cas exchanged confused looks, but Sam looked like he was trying hard to keep in a laugh. Naturally, he had gotten what they were talking about right away.

"We're talking normally, Dean." Castiel stared at Dean, slightly worried. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh, yeah. Everything's fine." Dean was obviously uncomfortable with the fact that he had no clue what was going on.

Really, Cas and Charlie would have stopped there, but then Sam just had to continue the game.

"Hey, are you two still planning on going to the movies at Baker T?" He asked it with a sly grin.

"You too?" Dean stared at his bother.

"Yeah," Charlie's eyes lit up with glee, "so don't expect us back until after Baker C. Unless you guys want to come with us?"

"Dean already said that they had to prepare to go after their latest adversary. They have to leave at McGann to get to the house before Smith. That doesn't give them much time in between for food and preparations." Cas answered for them, relishing the clueless look on Dean's face. Considering how many times that look had been on Cas's face, he figured that this was karma.

"Okay." Charlie nodded. "Come help me carry this thing to my car."

"Have fun, you two!" Sam shouted cheerfully.

Castiel and Charlie quickly left, barely able to contain their chuckles and laughs. They let loose though when they heard Dean's subsequent roar at Sam.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?!"

This really was a lot of fun.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ever seen the tumblr post about how we should replace the numbers on the clock with different Doctor faces now that we have 12 of them? I couldn't resist. I originally planned to have it all about how the Doctor and Cas are somewhat similar, like at the beginning, but Charlie decided to make things more upbeat. I just couldn't stop her.


	19. Along the Roller Coast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas, Charlie, and the Winchesters visit an amusement park.

"I – I really don't understand." Castiel said, looking around him.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked. She didn't seem offended by the question as none of her energy dimmed.

"Yeah, Cas, it's not rocket science." Dean was grinning where he stood next to his brother, excited by their location.

Cas was somewhat miffed because all of the humans looked like they belonged here. He, on the other hand, stuck out like a sore thumb in his suit and trenchcoat. If he had never been human, he probably never would have noticed or cared. He could practically feel the eyes of parents on him as they stared at him.

"Why would humans go to a place just for the explicit reason to scream?" Castiel asked, as that was what struck him as being the strangest thing in this place.

The gang was standing on the main way of Cedar Point, an amusement park. Screams mixed with what seemed to be whoops of joy filled the air as people rode on roller coasters and other rides. The smell of sugar and grease drifted on the wind, enticing the park goers to eat the carnival style foods. Crowds rushed by as everyone relaxed in the atmosphere of eagerness and fun.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "It's not like screaming is the point. It's just a reaction to moving at high speeds and heights. While actually being exposed to the elements since planes do basically the same thing but most don't scream on them."

"Speak for yourself." Sam snickered with a sideways glance at his older brother.

"Shut it, bitch." Dean playfully shoved him.

"Jerk." Sam shoved him back.

Charlie rolled her eyes again as the boys started fighting, but it was a playful fight, which hadn't happened in ages. Therefore, the nerd and angel let them be.

"It's not as bad as it looks." She grabbed his arm, and started dragging him towards one of the coasters.

At first, Cas allowed her to do so. However, as they got closer to the scream machines, he felt a great deal of trepidation and halted where he stood. Given the differences in strength, Charlie also came to an abrupt stop.

Charlie turned and gave the angel a puzzled look, but her expression softened from whatever she saw on Cas's face. "Hey," she said gently, "we'll start small, okay?"

Castiel gulped. He really did not want to go on any of these contraptions, but Charlie looked so hopeful that he couldn't disappoint her. Plus, this was the first time the Winchesters had come to such a place without having a case to work. He couldn't ruin this for them.

"Okay." He said softly. He let her lead him to the left and towards a roller coaster that looked older than all of the others. It was wooden and painted a faded blue and white.

"This is the Blue Streak. It's one of Cedar Point's oldest coasters." Charlie said, pulling him into line. The Winchesters followed though Dean complained about getting onto a baby coaster. A glare from Charlie shut him up.

It turned out alright, but Cas could tell that the humans were enjoying it a lot more than he was. He wasn't thrilled with going on the roller coasters but he did for his friends. Thus, he also ended up on the Corkscrew and the Iron Dragon.

It wasn't until Charlie dragged the four of them on to the Wildcat that he really had a problem.

The drop on the Wildcat was a lot steeper than the previous ones they had gone on, and for a moment, Castiel felt like he was falling. Automatically, he spread his wings to catch himself, but they were still damaged so they couldn't do anything. Of course, the cart went up the next hill, but the lurching feeling and sick fear that he had felt at that moment wouldn't go away. It didn't help that there were a couple other drops like that on the ride.

Charlie knew that the ride had been a bust the moment they got off. All she had to do was take a look at his face despite the fact that the angel knew that his expression wasn't any different than his normal ones. Yet somehow he knew that she knew.

"How about you boys go find us some lunch?" Charlie said with a smile to the Winchesters. "I want a corn dog and Cas should really try mozzarella sticks."

"Can do." Dean raced off to find them all some junk food and Sam trailed after him, not even complaining about eating healthy for once. After all, even he would be hard pressed to find healthy food at an amusement park.

Charlie and Cas sat down on a near-by bench to wait for them. "So what's up?" Charlie asked.

"Nothing but the sky and the celestial bodies that it contains." Cas said automatically.

Charlie threw him a dry look. "You know what I meant. What was wrong with the roller coaster?"

Castiel hesitated a moment before he spoke. Charlie wouldn't make fun of him he knew. "It felt like I was falling and I couldn't…" He grimaced and drew his wings closer to his body defensively.

"And you couldn't stop it." Charlie finished for him, reaching the point quickly. Sometimes she could come to realizations faster than Sam could, and it just showed how much of a genius she was. "Because your wings are still shredded from what Metatron did."

"I didn't like it." He admitted.

Charlie sighed. "Some people find that feeling to be thrilling, which is why they go on rides like this." She slipped her fingers through her hair as she pushed some loose strands away from her face. "But I guess that's even more terrifying for angels, especially when they can't fly at the moment."

"I'm sorry." Castiel apologized. "I don't mean to ruin everyone's fun."

Charlie glanced at him. "What are you apologizing for? Roller coasters aren't for everyone, and even then people have their limits."

Cas blinked, and looking around, he saw that he probably should have figured that out. Some people did not even glance at the bigger rides and instead chose the smaller more carnival type rides. He

"You don't have to go on the bigger stuff if you don't want to. Dean and Sam will probably go on them all, but you couldn't pay me to get on the Dragster." Charlie leaned back and looked up at the open sky that was only marred by the occasional cloud. "After lunch, how about I introduce you to some of the smaller stuff. Those seem like they would be more your speed, and the mine cart ride is definitely worth the wait. We should explore Frontier Town anyway."

Charlie continued talking about all of the different things they could do, and the angel felt nothing but relief for her understanding and not forcing him to go on the roller coasters. Still…

"I would not mind going on the Iron Dragon again." Cas said tentatively, and he received a blinding smile in return.

Fairly soon, the brothers showed up with the food and the four found a table to eat their early lunch and chat about what else they would like to do.

The rest of the day proceeded much as Charlie had talked about with Charlie, Sam, and Dean going onto the roller coaster they wanted while Cas went on the smaller stuff. He was joined usually by one of the others, and he found that he actually like these a lot better as they were more about spinning or moving in a circle than falling down. He particularly liked one of the giant group swings that was over by the Maverick. Charlie sat out of some of the coasters though, such as when the boys went snickering onto the brand new Rougarou. Cas had no idea why someone would name a ride after such beasts.

The three of them found themselves in the Frontier section, and Dean regaled Charlie with stories from when the Winchesters had actually gone to the Wild West. Charlie had to keep dragging Cas away from the Guess Your Weight, Age, or Birthday games that they encountered across the park, as she said that no one would ever guess how old he was. It wouldn't be fair. For supper, they ate pizza slices that the angel couldn't but be impressed with the size of and ice cream cones.

As night started to fall, the group went to check out the carnival games that were along the main way. Dean refused to play any, calling them a bunch of scams that no one could ever really win.

That's why Castiel would always cherish the look on Dean's face when he won the biggest prize at the ball toss and presented it to the hunter. Though the hunter would never admit it, and no one would bring it up, the sight of the giant stuffed animal always brought a smile to anyone's face when saw it in its place of honor in Dean's room.

Cas couldn't help but think that he now understood why humans found amusement parks so appealing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Cedar Point and Disney are the only amusement parks I've ever really been to before. That's why I chose Cedar Point, and their new attraction Rougarou was too good to not mention as it's named after a monster. It's been years since I've been though; I think "the Roller Coast" was their slogan when I was in middle school or high school. I kind of made Cas share my feelings on roller coasters and what my friends would do at the park, though I think it makes more sense for him though as angels and falling are not a great mix. Especially when the wings are damaged. Also, I figured that the Winchesters would love a normal day like this and would jump at the chance to ride all the big stuff. Hope you liked it!


	20. For the Sake of Second Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel compares Dean to a hobbit. Everything goes downhill from there.

"Dean, I think you would make a good hobbit."

This sentence was said without preamble by Castiel at the breakfast table.

The reactions from the rest of the room's occupants were priceless. Charlie accidentally breathed in one of her frosted flakes and started coughing. Sam had a similar reaction with his cup of coffee. Dean, on the other hand, managed to avoid coughing and just stared at the angel dumbfounded. The bacon on his plate went ignored though, so that was a definite warning sign.

Meanwhile, Cas just sat serenely at the table, munching on his own bacon. It was as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb into the middle of the kitchen.

Charlie was the first to recover.

"Well, uh, where did that come from?" The redhead asked, wiping away some stray milk from her lips.

"I re-read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books last night. You said that you wanted to watch the film adaptations soon, so I wished to be fully prepared." Castiel said as he finished off the last of his bacon and started glancing at Sam's plate as if contemplating snitching his bacon as well.

"Why the hell would _I_ be a hobbit? Sam's the geeky one; let him be a hobbit!" Dean grumbled as he resumed eating.

Charlie could almost understand even though she didn't really like Dean's attitude. After all, hobbits were awesome in her opinion. She'd grown up reading their tales and wishing she was like them. Dean, on the other hand, probably would not like being compared to people who live in holes in the ground and, with the small amount of exceptions, enjoy not having adventures.

He had always shown more admiration for dwarves anyway.

Castiel took his question seriously though. "You enjoy excitement, much like the hobbits that are the main focus of these tales." He explained. "You never give up in the face of adversity and continue on even when it's hard. You're resourceful and a fighter."

Dean looked touched at the angel's kind words. Charlie almost wished that someone would compliment her that way.

"Also, given your love of food," Cas continued, "I figured that you would like the fact that hobbits have seven meals a day."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, and then Charlie and Sam burst out laughing. Dean looked slightly embarrassed with a dusting of red on his cheeks.

"Of course, the seven meals of the Shire." Charlie said as she wiped away tears. "Breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper: all part of a balanced diet."

"I could just see him having pie for everyone." Sam snickered.

Now Dean gained a thoughtful look. "Hmm. It wouldn't be too bad in that case."

Cas smiled at the hunter. "I'm glad that you agree."

"Hey, what about me?" Charlie couldn't help but ask. Cas was always analyzing things and it was interesting whenever he tried to fit people into categories from different stories or fandoms.

The angel gave her a long look as he was probably sorting through all of his information on Tolkien's universe as well as what he knew about her. Finally, he came to a conclusion. "I believe you would be either an elf or a human." He stated confidently. "However, whichever species you were, I believe that you would be royalty, much like you are in Moondoor."

"Sweet." Though Charlie could certainly agree with that. She didn't want to be a Mary-Sue or anything, but being royalty in Middle Earth? That did sound like her. She grinned at Cas.

She certainly didn't need to ask how Cas came to that conclusion.

"And?" Sam raised his eyebrows at the angel, curiosity brimming in his eyes.

Castiel gave him a small smile. "I believe that you would make an excellent elf."

Charlie snorted. "He's certainly got the height for it."

"I don't know." Dean said as he finished off the last of his food. "I don't think he's graceful enough for it. He's kind of a klutz, you know."

"Hey," Sam sounded offended as he face settled into standard bitch face position. Charlie held back a giggle, as it wouldn't be good to encourage Dean's childish antics.

Glancing over at Cas, she took in the fond look on his face as he watched the Winchesters. He took a sip from his own cup of coffee and glanced over at the nerd. He also looked at her with fondness too.

A warm feeling settled somewhere in her chest. It was always there when the four of them were together in the Bunker like this.

_This is what it means to be a family._ Charlie thought, as she finally let out a chuckle. The three looked over at her as it interrupted the Winchesters' bickering.

She turned towards Cas. "I think you'd be a wizard."

The angel blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah." And the more she thought about it, the more the idea grew on her. "You're intelligent, have powers most don't have, follow Gandalf's way of trying to help other people…"

"And as a result, you start sticking your nose where it doesn't belong and cause trouble." Dean finished, proving that despite his protests, he really was a fan of the series.

Castiel's affronted look made her laugh again. Immediately, he began protesting Dean's claim, but to his dismay, Sam backed up his brother.

Charlie sat back and watched the three most important men in her life (well, two men and one angel, but that just sounded like the title of a terrible sitcom). The conversation was moving on to what other people that they knew would be. Some names she recognized, either from the books or from actually hearing or knowing them, but some of them she didn't.

She realized that after all that they had been through, it was relaxing to just sit and argue about these trivial things.

So without further ado, Charlie jumped into the fray.

Because these moments probably wouldn't last, so they should be treasured.


	21. When I'm Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death is different for humans and angels. Charlie doesn't think that's fair.

"Wow. That was a close one." Charlie let out a huge sigh as she and the angel made their way through the Bunker's door. The Winchesters' weren't home, as they had their own case that they were working on, but the two of them were free to come and go as they pleased.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt." Cas said as they moved into the library.

Charlie dropped her bag on the floor and sunk down into one of the armchairs. Castiel, on the other hand, gently set his duffle bag on the floor. He picked up one of the many books sitting on the table, _Artemis Fowl_ if the redhead was reading it right, and made his way to the couch where he settled down to read. She eyed him carefully as he was the one who ended up taking the blow. She didn't see any signs of blood though, so she figured his Grace had taken care of it.

"Well, it's not like dying is too bad." Charlie said nonchalantly. She wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying as she was wondering if there was any food in the fridge that she could have as a late night snack. Besides, once you became part of the Winchester clan, death really was not as big of a deal.

She didn't notice the way that Cas stiffened and looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head as his forehead furrowed in confusion. "I prevented your death by healing you." Worry leaked into his tone.

"Hmm?" Charlie thought back over what she had said, and realized what topic they had come upon. "Oh, I died before I met you, back when the Wicked Witch got loose in the Bunker. Ezekiel or Gadreel or whatever his name was brought me back, I guess."

"Ah." Understanding dawned in his eyes. "That makes sense." Cas looked a bit sad. "Despite his mistakes, he truly was a good person."

"Yeah, I guess he's gone, huh?" Charlie felt a bit sad that the angel who saved her was gone.

Silence fell between them as they both became lost in their thoughts.

"What was it like?" Cas finally said, a curious expression crossing his face. "Your heaven?"

Charlie smiled a bit. "I never got past the whadjamacallit… Axis Mundi? I didn't get far before I was brought back. I was reliving one of the Christmases my family had before my parents died." She couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia that brought on. Those had been good times.

The redhead wondered what other memories were contained within her heaven. Could there have been someone waiting for her at the end of the line? Or had she not met her soulmate yet? She guessed that she would find out eventually.

"Shouldn't you know this better than me?" Charlie turned to look over at Castiel on the couch. "After all, you're an angel and all, plus you've died a bunch of times. I think you'd be the expert."

He was quiet and avoided her eyes. She would have thought that he had gone back to reading, but his book was closed on his lap. That was when Charlie realized that something was wrong.

She sat up and frowned at him, but he still made no move to respond to her question. Charlie got up and walked over to the couch and plopped down next to him.

"What's wrong?" She asked hesitantly, her worry growing by the moment. "Is it something I said?"

Castiel gave a small huff and finally looked at her. "There is a large difference between observing a human dying and going to Heaven, and actually dying. I…" He gained a far off look. "I may have seen… something, the time that I died as a human. Otherwise," he gave a small shrug as if saying that this discussion was anything to be concerned over. Cas's reluctance and body language told the redhead differently. "There was nothing."

Now, Charlie was the one to furrow her brow. After all, how could there be nothing? Experience had shown that there was something after death. "What do you mean?"

Castiel gave her a look that she would almost categorize as pity. "Charlie," he said softly, "angels don't have an afterlife."

She blinked. "That can't be right." Though a feeling of dread in her stomach was telling otherwise, she tried to make her words sound strong. "After we die, our souls move on."

"That's the point." Cas said. "Angels don't have souls. Therefore, we don't have an afterlife. When we die, we simply," he waved his hand a bit helplessly, "cease to exist."

Charlie felt a sense of horror creeping up. After all, one of the comforts that she had was that when she died she would go to Heaven. Once there, if she teamed up with that Ash guy that she had read so much about, she was sure that she could figure out a way to travel freely between the individual heavens so she could see anyone else there.

If Cas died, unless he was brought back again, she would never see him again.

That wasn't fair at all. How could God even do that to his first kids?

"What's wrong?" Cas asked her, obviously worried about her silence.

Charlie tried to let out a laugh, but it sounded bitter to even her ears. "Sorry, it's just that sounds even worse than being a demon. Even monsters get an afterlife, no matter how much it sucks."

"Actually, while monsters get an afterlife, demons do not. They don't have souls either as they actually are corrupted souls." He tilted his head in careful thought. "That's why humans who do not have their hands on an angel blade require specialized knives or bullets in order to truly kill a demon."

That really wasn't making Charlie any happier. Castiel was basically saying that angels and demons were equal to each other.

"However, it's because neither of us have afterlives that we really can't come back to life. As far as I know, only God can bring an angel back. And I've never heard of a demon coming back after it's been killed, which is actually a relief."

Charlie couldn't believe that the angel was still talking. Still, her tips for social cues must have been making a bit of impact, because he seemed like he picked up her unhappiness.

He blinked. "What?"

Charlie sighed. "It just doesn't seem fair. You guys should have souls too. Why would God do such a thing?"

Cas leaned back, obviously thinking it over. "There wouldn't be much of a point. For us, souls are nothing more than an additional source of power. That's why we can use them as a way to become stronger, whether by touching them or absorbing them. If we had souls, then it would just be a drop in the bucket and would be drowned in our Grace anyway."

"Still doesn't seem right." Charlie left the armchair and scooted over so that she was right next to the angel. He didn't seem to be overly concerned with their topic of conversation, but she could tell that it secretly bothered him. It could be because he did have a soul, at least temporarily, after his Grace was stolen and he became human.

Of all of the angels that Charlie had read about, since she hadn't met many, Castiel had always seemed different. He had seemed more human, even as Dean had thought of him as an emotionless soldier when they first met. At least that's how that section had most kindly described the angel. It was Dean's perspective, after all.

To find out that he didn't have a soul and didn't have that sort of comfort? It left a sour taste, especially as this was about her friend.

She wondered if God did it because angels weren't supposed to die. Castiel had said that he was the last angel to be created, and it didn't seem like they had anyway to reproduce among themselves. At first glance, it seemed impossible to kill them. Years had proved this wrong as they could be smote by archangels, burned by holy fire, killed by angel blades or bullets, or destroyed by Leviathans. Any way, it required specialized knowledge to take out an angel.

A lot had died though since the Winchesters had learned of their existence. None of those guys would be coming back as they were simply gone. And no angel had died more than Cas had, though he kept returning.

Castiel didn't change his ways though. He still put himself on the frontlines, and willingly placed himself between his humans and danger. He threw himself in front of them, never even thinking about the danger to himself. He never thought that if he died, he might not come back, and they would never get to see him again.

That had to change.

"Castiel." Her serious tone, as well as the use of his full name, made the angel give her his full attention. "You are not allowed to die."

Cas opened his mouth to make some sort of protest, but Charlie leaned right into his personal space and placed a finger on his lips to make him shut it.

"No, you listen to me." The redhead firmly said. "After I die, I expect you to make visits to me in Heaven. Dean and Sam probably expect that, too. You can't do that if you're dead." She looked him right in the eye. "You are not allowed to die. Got that, mister?"

Castiel's eyes didn't waver from hers. She really hoped that she was getting through to him. After all, he had as many self-worth issues as either of the Winchester brothers. The way that the other angels had treated him his entire life didn't help either.

Slowly, Cas nodded. "I'll try not to." He said. Charlie knew that that was the best she was going to get from him. The self-sacrificing idiot wouldn't even hesitate if a situation came up where his death would save the rest of them or the world at large.

"Okay." Charlie didn't like how her voice trembled a bit at that word, but she ignored it as she settled in at the angel's side. All of her thoughts from before the conversation were gone, and all she wanted to do was stay by Cas for now. The thought of losing one's best friend forever can do that to a person.

After a moment's hesitation, Castiel's arm came up and around her, pulling her close. Charlie welcomed it, and she slowly drifted of to the sound of Cas flipping the pages of his book as he read.

When the Winchesters walked in the next morning, they were still on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: First off, happy birthday Misha Collins! In celebration of his birth, I present a chapter about death. Kind of morbid, but I did not actually plan on posting this today. It was done though, so I thought, why not? This really addresses the whole issue regarding angels and demons and their deaths. I mentioned this before in "Surely Heaven Waits for You," but this goes a bit more in depth and shows my headcanon regarding it. I think it's best to have Charlie discuss this with Cas, because while Dean and Cas do talk, it's mostly Dean bringing his problems to Cas. Cas is the one that Dean can unload on the most. I've made Charlie the one that Cas can go to, because he never wants to burden the Winchesters.
> 
> You may also notice that I've officially decided which scenario makes it possible for Charlie to be alive; so after "Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged" all of the stuff with the Stynes happened. However, Charlie was still alive, though fatally injured, when the boys showed up. Sam quickly took her to his hidey hole and had Cas heal her so she didn't die. Since she had figured out the code, they then put her in a safe house while the rest of the events of the final couple of episodes happened. Dean was still pissed and went on a rampage, Cas got beat up by Dean and spelled by Rowena, and Sam felt immensely guilty. Everything else still happened, only Charlie lived.


	22. From the House of Mouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Charlie watch The Lion King.

Castiel loved Disney movies.

The angel simply couldn't deny it. Since seeing _Inside Out_ , Charlie had begun introducing him to all of the previous Disney and Pixar animated movies. Apparently there were also live action movies as well, which included _Pirates of the Caribbean_ , but the nerd had decided to hold off on the classic ones.

He thought that he had heard her tell Dean that after his reaction to _Bambi_ ("But why would they just shoot his mother? What was the point in this?"), she wanted to hold off his reaction to _Old Yeller_.

Cas wondered what that could all be about.

In any case, he was fond of the cartoon movies and shorts, though even Sam seemed wearied by the analogies and metaphors that he drew from them.

He couldn't watch them as much as he liked, as he had to deal with cases and assisting the Winchesters and occasionally Heaven. Also, Charlie had warned him that Disney should not be subjected to binge watching. She said his fluffiness levels would explode.

Castiel had been hopping around, not exactly watching the Disney movies in order of creation, and he was putting in _The Lion King_. According to Dean, it was one of the best movies to ever come out of the company.

"Whatcha watching?" Charlie popped up from behind the couch.

Cas couldn't help but jump a bit. After the angel had started on the Disney Princess movies, Dean had declared it to be for chicks and kids. Charlie still came by to join him every once in a while, but Sam had surprisingly refused to watch them with him. Considering Sam's fondness for normality, he had thought that the younger Winchester would have jumped on the chance to watch the movies.

"I'm just starting _The Lion King_." He turned to her.

"Ah." Charlie flashed him a grin, and then a spark of realization in her eyes passed through. It made her frown a bit, though Castiel didn't know what caused it. "I'll watch it with you." With a single jump, she fell into the seat next to him on the couch.

"Good." Cas felt glad. Charlie had been right that sharing these sorts of things with others made it even better.

He smiled a bit as the previews played on the TV screen.

The opening, as most of these movies did, took his breath away. The music, colors, and images were astonishing. The movements of the animals were incredibly life-like.

"They obviously worked hard to make the animals realistic." Cas couldn't help but comment.

"They brought real animals into the studio to act as references, both for the general looks and movements." Charlie opened up the bag of chips that she had probably intended to take to her room. She held the bag towards the angel, and he took a chip.

"Fascinating." Cas brought his attention back to the movie.

As it continued, the angel found himself loving the music. The instrumentation was phenomenal as several songs contained instruments that were from the actual region that the movie was took place in. The words were also catchy and he found himself humming along.

Cas caught Charlie giving him a worried glance when Mufasa died. He wasn't quite sure why. After all, dissimilar with the incident with Bambi's mother, though his death was tragic, it actually made sense. It just made him dislike Scar even more. He did feel sad though, especially as Simba's reaction reminded Cas of the Winchesters after Bobby died.

He found that he could sympathize more with the lion though when he asked for a sign from his Father. After all, how many times had he himself been in that position? It was really too many for Castiel to think about.

Simba's caretakers managed to get his mind off of it though. He found Timon and Pumba to be funny, and somehow their antics in "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" reminded him of Charlie and Sam for some reason. He had seen them act similarly sometimes when he would sit with Dean to help with research. Though they never appeared to be as upset as the two animals were within the movie. After all, anyone could see that Nala and Simba belonged together.

His breath caught though as Simba came to the reflection pool.

After all, unlike his situation with his own Father, Mufasa answered Simba.

Castiel felt a hand on his arm. He glanced over to see Charlie give him a small smile of understanding.

It dawned on him that this was the reason that Charlie had decided to watch the movie with him. A surge of gratefulness flowed through Cas for his friend's thoughtfulness. He returned the smile, and his gaze went back to the movie.

As the movie wound down, Cas found himself satisfied with the conclusion. The credits were rolling when Charlie spoke up.

"For a while, after my dad died and my mom…" She fell quiet for a moment. "For a while, I hated this movie. After all, even though it took years, Simba got to see his dad one more time and even managed to avenge him. I never got that, though," she gave a wry grin, "I guess I have avenged them now."

Cas could understand that that hadn't been as satisfying as she had thought it would be when it first happened, especially under the circumstances.

"It's fine." He finally said, and it was mostly true. There would probably always be a slight sting at the thought of how his Father continually ignored him, but he had made his way well enough without him despite his mistakes. He may regret those mistakes, but he would not change them.

"Yeah, for the most part." Charlie agreed. They shared a companionable silence.

"I wonder what I should watch next." Cas pulled out his list.

"Let's worry about it later." Charlie waved her hand nonchalantly. Then the nerd smirked as she turned to the angel. "Want to sing Disney karaoke in the room right to Dean?"

Cas smirked as well. "Yes."

The two of them went off to go annoy Dean, which Castiel found himself enjoying when he did it with Charlie. And Dean had a particular dislike for the song "Let It Go," while Cas loved it.

"Do you think you'll watch _The Lion King_ again?" Charlie asked softly as they walked through the Bunker.

"Yes. I liked that movie." Castiel said honestly. Most might think that the reminder of his Father would deter him. However, it just proved how magical those movies were.

They could affect even an angel like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This started from my desire to write something fluffy about Castiel watching Disney movies. However, I knew that I couldn't go over all of Disney's animated films in one story, so I chose one of the most famous, and my sister's favorite, to focus on. Then as I was writing, I realized that it was Lion King and some of the stuff in it would probably affect Cas, so it was not as fluffy as I originally intended. And now I want to write a chapter with Disney karaoke. Disney's kind of a big deal in my family because when my siblings and I were little, we really only saw Disney, animated attempts at Disney, and Star Wars movies. Anyway, I think they would really appeal to Cas as he likes cartoons and is kind of childish sometimes, so that's why I wrote that he loved them.


	23. The Discovery of Destiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel discovers the people who are fans of the Winchester Gospels aka Supernatural. He asks Dean what Destiel is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by a Guest for the Supernatural books/fandom. Thanks.

"Charlie, can I borrow your laptop until I get mine fixed?" Castiel asked as he walked into her bedroom. He frowned as he saw that she wasn't there despite the open door. He pulled out his cell phone.

_Where are you? O_o_

It took a few seconds but she quickly replied.

_Sorry! -.-' Had to get a new cord for my computer and iPod, but I'll be back soon!_

_I see..._ :| Cas typed. He followed that text with his original question. _Can I borrow your laptop? Mine's broken. :/_

_Sure! I'll look at it when I get back, okay?;)_

_Thank you._ _:)_ _o/\o_ With that final text, he put his phone back in his pocket and picked up the laptop, making sure it was fully charged before pulling off its charger cord. He knew he didn't need it long enough to really wear down the battery, but it didn't hurt to check.

Castiel was so busy with his task that he didn't feel his phone buzz one more time with a text.

It wouldn't be until later that he would find it and know why she had wanted him to close down her open Internet window without looking at its contents.

Cas settled down at one of the tables in the library, and grabbed up the book that he had been cross checking before his laptop had conked out. Even with his vast stores of knowledge and experiences, the Bunker constantly surprised him with how much information was within its large collection. After all, it's not like Cas knew everything in the first place, and it seemed that there had been too many times that they had come across things that the angel had been sure had been killed off, or were from long before he existed. Plus, Sam had taught him to always verify information and the Internet was sometimes excellent for that, if one could look past the nonsense and misinformation that dotted the World Wide Web.

Castiel flipped the screen back up once more, and frowned as he saw that the browser was already open to a page. Normally, he would just close it as it would be an invasion of Charlie's privacy, but then he saw that his name was all over it.

Puzzled, the angel looked up at the name of the site.

_What on Earth is supposed to be?_ He wondered.

The site seemed to be in a sub-section of its main page as at the top it said, "Books – Supernatural." Looking over the page, he realized that these must be stories based off of the books, official and unofficial, written by the prophet Chuck, as some of the summaries underneath titles described situations that he recognized. Cas just had no clue why anyone would take time to write about them.

There were also some words that he didn't recognize. They appeared to be names, but he had never encountered anyone by the name of Sabriel or Destiel during his time with the Winchesters.

Castiel was tempted to click on one of the stories, but after an incident with Dean's laptop, he had learned to never do so completely blind. If Charlie had been home, he would have asked her what this was all about. That wasn't an option however.

Luckily for him, Dean walked into the library at that moment.

"Dean, may I ask you a question?" Cas looked up at the hunter with a hopeful glint in his eyes. After all, Dean had answered many of his questions in the past, even though he teased him when the angel asked something that he felt was obvious.

"Sure." Dean cracked open the beer that he had grabbed and took a deep sip.

"What's Destiel?" The innocent question fell from Castiel's lips, and Dean's reaction honestly shocked him.

Beer exploded out of Dean's mouth in a single spray and he coughed as some of it went down the wrong pipe. Cas stood in order to try to alleviate some of the hunter's difficulties, but he waved him away as he pounded on his chest.

As he calmed down, Cas couldn't help but think that Dean's face was a lot redder than coughing up beer warranted.

"Are you alright?" He asked, greatly concerned at this reaction. _Have I done something wrong?_

"Yeah. Yeah. It's just – " Dean looked almost embarrassed. He set his beer down to prevent another reaction like he just had. "Where did you hear that word?"

"Well." Dean cut him off before he could say anything more.

"Was it Sam?" Dean's expression darkened. "I swear to God – "

"No. It was on here." Castiel quickly said. He hadn't seen that murderous expression since before the Mark had been removed, and he was in no hurry to see it again. Instead, he directed Dean's attention to the laptop. "I am borrowing Charlie's laptop, and it appears several times on this site that appears to contain literature based on the Winchester Gospel."

"On what site?" Dean came over, and after catching the name of the site, snorted. "This isn't literature, Cas. It's fanfiction."

Cas tilted his head a bit as he thought that over.

He still didn't get it.

"What's fanfiction?"

"They're just stories written by people who like the books. They write what they wish would happen, how things should have happened, how they interpret stuff that happened, and other things that they like to imagine the people in stuff doing. We once had a case that involved a whole musical based off the books." Dean shrugged. "I don't get it, but it's out there."

"I see." Castiel frowned. "But you still haven't explained what Destiel is."

Dean scrubbed his hand over his face. "God dammit, Charlie." He turned red once more, though Cas still couldn't think of a reason for it. "It's a ship name." He mumbled into his hand.

"It's the name of a nautical vehicle?" Cas's brow furrowed as he racked his memories for it. "I don't recall encountering that. And since I read the gospels that occurred before I rescued you from Hell, I know that you didn't encounter it before."

"No, ship as in 'in a relationship.'" Even Dean's ears were bright red now. "Destiel is a combination of yours and my names. They think we should be together."

That didn't make much sense. Cas squinted a bit. "But we are together?"

"What?!"

"We're in the same room, Dean." Cas waved his hand to demonstrate. "We can't always be together though. I assume it would become fairly awkward sometimes."

"Jesus Christ, Cas! I mean, _together_ together! As in a relationship! As in a couple! As in hand holding and kissing and hugging and…" Dean exploded, but his voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying. He sighed. "Screw this; I don't do chick flick stuff. If you want to know more, ask Sam."

With those final words, Dean grabbed his beer and slunk away. Castiel decided that under the circumstances, he would point out how he was pouting like a child.

Still, Dean had gotten the message across loud and clear. Cas looked over the screen and sat back down. Hesitantly, he checked the filters to make sure he would see any M stories, because even he could guess what he would find in that section and he didn't really want to see that at this point. Then, he clicked on one of the stories. It didn't say Destiel, but it still appeared to have both of them in it.

After all, new information should be thoroughly researched.

And all that Dean had mentioned hadn't sounded that bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I didn't have Cas actually reading the books in this. I figure he read the ones before his appearance, as he told Chuck that he admired his work when they first met, but didn't read them afterwards as he was actually there for the events. Still, my OTP shows clearly in this fic, so I guess if you don't ship Destiel then you're out of luck. This is sort of a sequel to "The Destiel Problem" which starred Sam and Charlie, so this one focuses on Dean and Cas. I think it'd be hilarious for Dean to be the one to explain it. After that, Cas is a curious angel...
> 
> If you can't tell, I had fun with this story.


	24. The Free Will League?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Castiel think of what their superhero names would be.

Charlie sighed and tapped her pen against the top of the book she was reading. This was so tedious, even though she normally enjoyed reading.

Then again, usually her beloved Internet didn't fail her.

Sam and Dean were off on a case, but she and Cas had stayed home so they marathon _Doctor Who_ in preparation of the upcoming new season. The boys had intended to be home by the time they got to the newer stuff, as they had all decided that it would be best to start Dean on the new stuff and then let him go through the classic stuff by himself. He was still miffed about how they had messed with him by using the actor's name to represent times, but he had been excited to watch something new.

However, it hadn't been a simple salt and burn like they had thought, so Charlie and the angel were stuck on research duty. It didn't help that all sorts of new baddies had been crawling out of their holes ever since the Darkness was unleashed. It made it harder to find information on them, even with the Internet. Cas was actually really helpful with these sorts of things, but even some of this stuff were things he had only heard about.

Plus, since the case was in Maine, it would take too long to drive out to assist them.

Charlie sighed again and thumped her head on the table. She couldn't believe she hadn't been able to find anything on the Internet that matched the description of what was being caused. Usually there was some crazy guy out there who had ranted about it and could provide a clue, but there was nothing.

"Oh, I see."

Charlie looked up at Castiel's words, and saw him pulling out his cell phone. His eyes looked down at the page of the book that was open on his lap.

"Figure it out?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes. I'm surprised we didn't think of it before, but I believe I've found it." He punched in a number and brought his phone up to his ear.

"Hello, Dean. I think I've found it." Charlie listened in on Cas's side of the conversation. "Did you notice any hoof prints by any chance around the lake where people are being killed? Then, that confirms my hypothesis. You are dealing with a kelpie. It's a water creature that can shapeshift, though it normally takes the form of a horse with a mane of water reeds. It lures people onto its back with a type of hypnosis, then drags its victim underwater and eats it, letting what's not eaten float to the top." He paused as Dean, or maybe Sam if it was on speaker, said something. "I was getting to that." He huffed. "You can tame it by slipping a bridle over its head, but I assume you don't want to do that. To kill it, you need to draw it out of the water and then stab it in the heart with a Celtic blade doused in the water of its home. You got that?" He waited as the information was repeated back to him. "Good."

Cas hung up the phone, and turned to Charlie with a smile. She gladly returned it and stretched.

With a quiet thump, she closed the book and stood. "Looks like the day is saved."

"It will be one they take care of it." Cas corrected slightly. "But they know the means of doing so now."

"Ah." Charlie sunk down into the actually comfortable seat of the couch. She didn't touch any of the remote controls though, despite the fact that she knew that the next episode of _Doctor Who_ was ready and waiting in the DVD player. She just wanted a moment to rest after their research session.

Castiel sat down next to her, though he did so with a lot more grace than she did. He tended to be like that unless he was so worn down that he just collapsed. Luckily, nothing like that had happened since his proper Grace had been restored.

Charlie stared off into space, not really thinking about anything in particular. It was fine to do every once in a while, and it helped her focus on things that had been nagging at the back of her brain, but she hadn't really had time to address.

Now, her earlier comment came back to her, and a thought that had been knocking around in her head.

"We're kind of like superheroes." She said. "Vigilantes like Batman, with none of the recognition." She wrinkled her nose a bit. "Though we fight the supernatural, not aliens or villains." She gave a look towards Cas, hoping he would either confirm or deny the aliens comment. She wasn't going to give up so easily.

Castiel hummed a bit. "Yes, I suppose that argument could be made." He agreed. "Though I feel like you are aiming to a different point."

"Well," Charlie sat up and turned toward him, "if we're superheroes, then we need superhero names and a name for our team."

Cas frowned. "I thought we were Team Free Will?"

"Yeah, I guess." Charlie waved her hand to brush that aside. "But most teams would have names like: Free Will League, the Demon Hunters, or maybe Hunters United?"

Cas gave her an unimpressed look. "That last one sounds like some sort of union for hunters." She grimaced as, yes, that really wasn't her best. "Besides, if you don't like Team Free Will," and his tone suggested that he liked just fine, "then we could also be considered Men and Women of Letters."

"Ugh. Yeah, I guess." Charlie brushed back some hair that had fallen in her face. After all, so what if they already had several options for awesome superhero team names? There was the other issue to deal with though. "What about superhero names?"

"That is a bit more difficult." Cas admitted. He looked thoughtful. "It is to my understanding that most superhero names are either codenames from their organization or are given to them by the public or newspapers."

"Oh, yeah. Most don't get to choose." Charlie hadn't thought of that.

"If we go by the newspapers…" Cas trailed off a bit, still pondering the issue. "Then, Dean and Sam are murdering psychopaths who keep on being declared dead and turning out to not be dead. You are the gracious queen of a LARP group. And I am a religious nut job who killed motivational speakers and untruthful priests while declaring myself God." He was silent for a moment, before turning towards the redhead. "We aren't really given titles, but I don't any of us want to have superhero names associated with those things."

Charlie noticed that her jaw had dropped at some point during Castiel's analysis. She shut it with a small click. She had forgotten that those things had happened, but he really was right. After all, she would want to keep LARPing as part of her secret identity, and the boys and angel wouldn't want to be reminded of such things.

"But we're not them, so we can choose." Charlie quickly said. She wanted to keep away from dark thoughts at the moment.

"If you want to, I guess we can." Cas shrugged, at least willing to humor her. Well, she was going to take it for what it was worth.

"So what should it be…" Charlie thought hard about it.

"These names are also derived from a person's abilities or features, so…" Cas stared at her like he was looking into her soul. "Perhaps your name could be the Red Tornado."

Charlie blinked. She kind of liked the sound of that. "Any reason why?"

"Well, you can be quite the force of nature when angered. Also, you've been to Oz, which someone traditionally gets to through tornado." Cas explained. "And of course, your hair is red."

She liked the name even better now. Charlie smiled. "Okay, I'll take that. Now, let's move onto you."

"I can't think of anything." Cas frowned. "Dean calls me Mr. Comatose sometimes. Would that count?"

"That doesn't count." Charlie quickly said. She gave it a thought. Cas's most notable feature was probably his ever-present trenchcoat. However, he was also an angel, which was pretty big both in terms of power and significance. "How about Fallen Angel? That is what you are."

Cas tilted his head as he thought about it. "I find that acceptable. After all, I have no regrets about falling."

"Great. Now we just have to do the boys." Charlie gleefully rubbed her hand together, getting into it.

"I think that the Righteous Man already suits Dean as a superhero name." Castiel pointed out. "I know he doesn't like it, but it is what he is."

"Yeah, Dean can keep the name." She agreed. It was probably the most superhero like one out of all of them. Dean hadn't wanted the name, but it still had been thrust on him. That left…

"Crowley often refers to Sam as Moose." Cas suggested.

"Yeah, but we need more than that." Charlie said. She crossed her legs and tapped her finger against her knee in thought. "We need to put something before Moose or after it."

They pondered this for a moment.

"Majestic Moose?" Charlie finally said.

Cas nodded. "I think we found it." He picked up the remote. "Can we watch _Doctor Who_ now?" He flashed her those puppy eyes which showed just how much he wanted to watch it.

"Sure, go ahead and turn it on." She picked up her sketchpad. "I'm gonna design us some costumes."

Cas rolled his eyes a bit, but left her to it. She smiled as the sounds of _Doctor Who_ drifted from the television while she started a sketch of the elder Winchester.

They were going to have the better outfits than any Marvel or DC team out there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Not really the best segue, but I tried my best. I basically just wanted to do a chapter where they come up with superhero names.


	25. The Happiest Place on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to Disney.

"I've actually been here before." Castiel said, looking around.

"Really?" Charlie asked incredulously. The angel knew the Winchesters were sharing her startled look. He tried not to be too offended considering that his lack of pop culture awareness warranted such looks.

"Yes. When I was searching for God, it didn't seem too presumptuous to assume he might be in the so-called happiest place on Earth." He shrugged.

"Guess he wasn't though." Dean said, appearing to be slightly uncomfortable with their surroundings.

The four of them stood on Main Street, USA in the Magic Kingdom park of Walt Disney World.

To most who knew the team, it would be a mystery as to what they could be doing in such a place.

The answer was a lot simpler than one might think: Castiel had discovered online sweepstakes.

He hadn't thought much of it. When the site had popped up to win a 4-day trip for four, he had thought it might be fun if he won, but he had figured that it would be highly improbable.

Yet here they are.

"So, what exactly are we doing here?" Sam asked as they started walking down the street.

"I believe it is called a vacation." Castiel said dryly, and he couldn't help but wonder why this seemed to be hard for the brother to understand. "Though this seems more fun than what you did the last time you took one."

"What'd they do?" Charlie asked, bouncing on her feet. She at least seemed as excited as the angel, though his barely showed.

"To my understanding, they sat on lawn chairs drinking beer and wearing sunglasses." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the hunters wince. None of them really liked thinking about why they had gone on that so-called vacation.

Though he figured that if anyone deserved a vacation, it was this crew.

"Come on." Cas couldn't help but find it funny that this was the exact opposite of what happened at Cedar Point; there he had to be the one cajoled into entering the park. He grabbed Charlie and Dean's hand and tugged them in. "I want to ride the teacups."

Dean sputtered about going on such a "baby" ride while Charlie and Sam just laughed and followed. Of course, Dean swiftly changed his opinion when the angel managed to spin their teacup at nearly unbelievable speeds.

As Dean staggered out, he had a wide grin on his face. Sam snickered at him, and suddenly everyone was relaxed.

"So why did you really do this?" Charlie asked as they waited for the brothers to ride Space Mountain so they could go to the Buzz Lightyear shooter ride. After fulfilling Cas's wish, they had decided to really start in Tomorrowland and work their way counterclockwise around the park.

Cas shrugged, though he had guessed that she would be the one to ask this. "Things have been hard lately and we have had trouble finding clues on how to finish off the Darkness. I thought we could take a break as sometimes that can help humans focus when they get back to work." He paused. "If anyone deserves a vacation, it's you and the Winchesters."

Charlie gave a thoughtful hum, and she opened one of the several maps that Cas had grabbed so they could figure out what they wanted to do. "I always wanted to come here. My parents had promised to take me one day." Her voice was sad and wistful, and a glance told Castiel that she wasn't seeing their current surroundings. She shook it off after a moment. "Thanks." The nerd smiled at him. "I think we needed this."

Cas smiled back and turned to see the Winchesters on their way back to them. Mentally though, he was planning out the next few days so they could experience all of the things the four Disney parks could offer in four days. He was sure that Dean would enjoy the Hollywood Studios more with its many pop culture attractions as well as the Rock n Roller Coaster with his type of music, while Sam would find Epcot fascinating. Charlie would probably like everything just like the angel.

It really was all of their first times to come here. Perhaps they could find some kind of happiness to carry with them once they returned to their real lives.

But for now, Cas smiled and let himself and the others be drawn in by the magic of Walt Disney.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I've only been to Disney World twice, and the last time was about five years ago now. Therefore, there are probably quite a few changes to the park in terms of rides, so I kept to the classics. I really enjoyed going there, even though I never made it to the Animal Kingdom. Still, I just needed some cheering up because visitation and the funeral for my mom are coming up in the next few days. What could do that better than the happiest place on Earth? I really hope I get to go there again someday. Plus, I like to imagine the gang in Mickey Mouse ears or Disney cosplay.


	26. Dino Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas has some issues with how Jurassic Park portrays the dinosaurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by cheryl24 for Jurassic World. I haven't seen that, so I've done Jurassic Park instead. I hope that works for you.

" _Jurassic Park_?" Curious, Castiel picked up the DVD case of tonight's movie that Charlie and Dean insisted they watch. He turned it over to read the back.

"Man, I haven't seen this since we were kids." Sam entered the room with a big bowl of popcorn and plopped down on the couch.

"Any special reason for why you suddenly wanted to watch it?" Dean asked as he placed the DVD in the player.

"Well, I managed to find a theater that showed _Jurassic World_. After seeing that, I felt some nostalgia for seeing the movie that started it all." Charlie explained as she sat down next to Cas.

However, the angel couldn't help but frown at the case. "Humans encountering dinosaurs in the 20th Century?" He summarized what he was reading. "I'm fairly sure that's impossible as we accidentally wiped them all out."

It took Cas a moment to realize that the only sound he was hearing was the music of the DVD menu. Sam's hand was stopped half way to his mouth to shove more popcorn in. Dean was still crouched in front of the TV, giving him that look that always said Cas had said something he couldn't believe. Charlie was staring at him, slightly slack-jawed.

The angel couldn't help but think that he seemed to inspire these sorts of reactions a lot. He wondered what it was about him that caused them.

"You did what?" Charlie asked. Her voice sounded kind of weird, and he wondered if, given what he had done in the past, they thought this had also been his fault.

"I didn't do it personally." He quickly said. "I was actually off fighting in a different part of the universe at the time, so I could prove that I was worthy of my promotion."

"I don't think it was an accusation, Cas." Dean sat down on the couch, and stole the popcorn bowl. "Explain so I can start the movie."

"Well, there was this game that Gabriel had come up with that involved asteroids. It was similar to your baseball." The other groaned at that, already getting a good idea of what happened. "In any case, some angels were playing it one day; to my understanding, Uriel threw it too hard and Rebecca failed to catch the asteroid. It ended up hitting the Earth." He paused. "Lucifer was quite upset. He liked the dinosaurs."

The others were staring at him again, though the DVD had started to automatically play the movie. "The extinction of the dinosaurs was an accident." Sam seemed to be taking it as a personal affront.

"Yes." Cas nodded, though his eyes were drawn to the TV. "They were all punished though as they weren't supposed to be playing at the time."

"An accident." Charlie said to herself, still in shock.

"It turned out to be for the best as it helped pave the way for mammals and humans to take the lead." Castiel reasoned. He frowned. "What is going on?"

The others snapped their heads forward to see someone being dragged into the pen that was on-screen. They were all quickly sucked into the movie.

However, as Sam teased Dean that Dr. Grant was even worse with kids than the hunter, Cas realized that even though this was his first time viewing the film, it was probably all right for him to comment on it.

Therefore, he didn't hold back from saying things like:

"The science behind this is not really plausible. The chances of blood still being a viable source of DNA after such an amount of time…"

"How would they manage to find mosquitoes that have all of these different species of dinosaurs?"

"I could understand recreating herbivores, but why would they make the carnivores that would hunt them if the power failed as it is currently doing?"

"Velociraptors didn't look like that. They were smaller and had feathers."

"Being able to change sex in a single-sex environment would only be plausible if the blanks had been filled with that frog's specific DNA patterns, which I find highly suspect."

"Most of the dinosaurs depicted in this film are not actually from the Jurassic period."

There were mixed reactions from his comments. Dean generally looked annoyed, even though the angel wasn't shouting at the characters on the screen whenever it appeared they were going to get eaten like he was. Charlie was a mix of interested and annoyed. She mostly looked annoyed when he was pointing out the flaws in the science of the film. Sam, for the most part, seemed fascinated by his reactions to the depictions of the dinosaurs, but also didn't like when he questioned the decisions of the protagonists.

Now, the credits were rolling, and Cas wasn't exactly sure how to feel. He had liked the movie well enough, though there were several plot points that he felt were unrealistic.

"The dinosaurs seemed a lot more life-like than CGI generally allows." He said.

Charlie grinned and nodded. "Well, this movie was one of the pioneers when it comes to using CGI in movies, but it's so life-like because they combined it with animatronics."

Cas tilted his head. "Like in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride?"

Dean shot him an offended look. "Don't compare those knock-offs to the dinosaurs."

"Yeah, the animatronics for this movie were a lot more sophisticated." Sam backed him up.

"Hmm. I liked it." Castiel decided that the movie had been good enough. The others nodded their approval, and he assumed that that was that.

Still, as he was cleaning up dishes in the kitchen later, he found Charlie approaching him.

"So," she hopped up on the counter, "dinosaurs were Lucifer's favorite?"

"Yes." He confirmed. "Though the movie did make a good point about how dinosaurs are related to birds, they still are related to reptiles as well. Lucifer had an affinity with reptiles; it's part of the reason why he was able to convince the serpent in the garden to help him tempt Eve."

"Wow." Charlie swung her legs back and forth as she thought it over. Then, she smiled. "Given how dinosaurs retaliated against humans in the movie, I could totally see Lucifer bringing them back to help him wipe out humanity."

"Don't give him any ideas." Castiel said, slightly teasing her. The idea made him think that it would be something the archangel would enjoy doing.

If dinosaurs and humans ever did meet, it probably would end up as well as the movie did.

Cas really hoped his older brother never escaped from the Cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: To tell you the truth, I first saw Jurassic Park when I was about four years old. It freaked me out enough that I refused to watch it again. Once I was in high school, I became willing to see it again, but I didn't really take the opportunity until the request for Jurassic World came and I decided to substitute it. Still, I liked the movie well enough for an action movie. Most of the protests that I had Castiel make were ones that I brought up to my sister while we watched the movie or ones I've seen in reviews online for the movie. The combination of CGI and animatronics were cool though.


	27. The Destiel Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas get stuck in the closet. This is how everyone learns not to get Castiel involved in prank wars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by DemigodPrefect for some more Destiel in honor of Supernatural's 10th Birthday. Hope you like it!

Castiel wondered what exactly he had done to deserve this. Surely slaughtering his siblings while possessed by Purgatory souls and Leviathan and claiming to be God couldn't warrant this much punishment. Or even allowing himself to be tricked by Metatron, letting all the angels be cast from Heaven couldn't have been that bad that this sort of situation needed to pass.

Regardless of whether he deserved it or not, the angel couldn't change where he was now.

He and Dean were stuck in the closet.

Cas could hear Charlie cackling on the other side of the door, even as Dean pounded on it and yelled at her to let them out.

It had all started with a simple prank. Dean had switched out Charlie's _Game of Thrones_ DVDs with what he termed "chick flicks." The nerd had been suitably angered and had retaliated with replacing Dean's _Busty Asian Beauties_ with magazines like _Cosmo_ and _17_.

Understandably, the hunter had not been happy.

It had all spiraled downward from there as an all-out prank war had broken out. Even Sam had joined in when Dean purposely put dye into his shampoo. The normally levelheaded hunter had been furious and now Cas knew that he could be just as childish as his brother.

Castiel had managed to keep out of it for the most part, refusing to prank anyone, though that might have something to do with the fact that he didn't know how he would prank someone in the first place. However, living in a bunker where a three-way prank war was going on was not pleasant. All three participants had tried recruiting him to their side, and he often found himself being the victim of the pranks they set up.

He really hadn't been sure how much more he could take and he had been just a hair breath's away from joining his siblings back in Heaven.

Considering how many issues he had with them, that was saying something.

That had all lead to today. Charlie had accidentally kicked his phone into the large closet where the cleaning supplies were kept. That should have made him instantly suspicious, as his phone had no purpose being on the floor in the first place. Still, he had nodded at her apology and walked into the closet to grab it.

As he was just turning around, Dean had walked in grumbling about there being a mess in the kitchen. He had blocked the exit while reaching for the broom.

That's when Charlie had struck. With a shove, Dean had knocked over the broom and mop and stumbled into Cas, pushing them both further into the closet. Before they could do anything, she had slammed the door shut and they had both frozen at the sound of a lock clicking.

Bringing them both back here again.

"I mean it, Charlie." Dean struggled with the doorknob. "Let us out right now! Or else I'm going to permanently take off the toilet seats!"

Charlie snorted. "Yeah, and you'll be wanting it the next time you need to take a crap." She said through the door.

Castiel made a face and got closer to the door, pressing up against Dean who stilled. "Charlie, please leave me out of your pranks, and let us out."

"Hmm." The angel could almost see the thoughtful expression on her face, as well as the playful glint in her eyes. "Nope. Besides, this is my good deed for the day. You guys could use some alone time." With those words, the two could hear the sound of her skipping away.

They stared at the door for a moment, aghast.

Then, Dean turned to face him, their faces becoming exceedingly close. For some reason, the closet seemed a lot smaller than it had a minute ago.

"Cas, break the door down." Dean ordered; however, Cas was slightly memorized at the sight of all of Dean's freckles. It had ages since he had been allowed close enough to properly count them, an old habit of his. "Cas!" Dean snapped his fingers before his face, interrupting his counting.

"You and Sam told me to stop doing that." He pointed out. Dean had made that very forceful request after he destroyed the door to the dungeon area.

"Yeah, well, forget that. I'll make an exception." Dean seemed nervous for some reason, and the hunter wiped his hands on his jeans. Cas glanced down at the movement, wondering what he could be worried about. After all, this was not the worse prank that had been played since the war began.

"Alright." Cas agreed. If Sam made a fuss, then he could blame Dean for it at least. "Let me get closer." After all, at that moment, Dean was right between him and the door and probably would end up with splinters if the angel blew open the door.

The two of them began to shift around, but disaster struck as Dean accidentally put his foot down on the broom.

"Ah!" The hunter's foot slipped and he waved his arms, trying to regain his balance. Unfortunately, he and Cas were too close as their legs became tangled up, tripping them both. Cas managed to catch Dean and took the brunt of the fall as he slammed into the wall.

"Ugh." Cas groaned automatically, not because it hurt that much but more due to reflex. He braced himself against the wall as Dean tried to straighten himself, holding the angel's arms to do so. Castiel looked up just as Dean looked down, and the angel realized that they were even closer that they had been moments before. They were practically breathing each other's air, and he couldn't have looked away even if you paid him.

"Dean…" Cas wasn't sure what would have followed that, because just at that moment the lock clicked open.

"I told you, we need to let them figure things out by themselves." Sam appeared to be scolding Charlie. He turned to them as he opened the door. "Sorry, guys…" His voice trailed off as he saw their position: holding each other in their arms and Cas pushed up against the wall. "Uh…" The younger Winchester didn't seem to know what to do with this.

Dean sprang away from Castiel as the shock finally wore off. "I tripped." He hurriedly explained as he speed-walked in the direction of his room.

Cas felt a twinge of hurt as he stepped out of the closet and frowned after the hunter. His eyes followed him until he was out of sight. He then turned his gaze to the other two occupants of the Bunker. Sam looked uncomfortable and sheepish, while Charlie had her arms crossed and a disappointed expression on her face.

"The prank war stops now." Castiel told, no, ordered them both. He was surprised that none of the tumbling emotions he had inside were evident in his voice.

"Okay." Both of them readily agreed.

Cas nodded and gave one last glance after Dean, before walking towards the entrance to the Bunker.

He needed some time alone to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Destiel's actually mentioned in the story I'm working on at the moment, but I figured that would be enough. Funnily enough, it's also a request. I kind of just threw this together so I hope it fulfills your request DemigodPrefect. Still, I could totally see Charlie just shoving them in a closet, but because Dean's an insecure moron, nothing would really happen. Anyway, Happy 10th Birthday, Supernatural! I've got updates for The Hunter Groom and a story about Castiel coming to Earth that I've been saving for the 18th, Castiel's birthday and the airdate of his first appearance. So keep an eye out for my stuff. See you!


	28. Can't Keep a Good Man Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Cas are investigating a case that seems to be caused by a Trickster. Cas recognizes this particular brand of humor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request made by Dark Goddess2000 for Charlie to meet everyone's favorite Trickster. Enjoy.

Both Castiel and Charlie blinked. They shared a glance as if to ask the other if they had heard the same thing.

Apparently, they had.

"Could you please repeat that?" Cas asked. Charlie silently congratulated him on his ability to keep his disbelief out of his voice.

Then again, Cas was generally pretty open-minded when it came to the supernatural, as he was one such being himself.

The witness looked between the two of them. "As I said," her voice trembled a bit, "my husband was killed by Bowser from the Nintendo games." Tears filled her eyes. "You don't believe me either."

"No. We believe you." Charlie quickly said, floundering to comfort her.

Ten minutes later, Charlie and Castiel were walking out of the police station.

"Why would that woman not stop crying?" Cas still had that deer-in-the-headlights look on his face from being confronted with a woman's tears.

"Some people are just overly emotional." Charlie brushed her hair out of her face. "Personally, I was just surprised that she so freely admitted it."

"Yes, I have noticed that most people deny what they see because they think it's impossible. Children and the elderly are generally the most honest, surprisingly." Cas commented as he slid into the passenger's seat of Charlie's car.

"That's because children are more open to stuff and haven't necessarily learned how to lie yet. And old people don't care what others think." The redhead started the car and started going back to the motel. "So what all do we have?"

The angel pulled out his case notes and flipped to the proper page. "We have the unfaithful husband kidnapped and killed by Bowser; the car thieves who got their vehicles destroyed by Link; two tiny Eskimos beat up some men who were accused of rape but got away; and the woman who was beaten up by Princess Peach after she hid the fact that she was abusing her children." He paused. "Getting beaten up by Princess Peach seems quite pathetic to my understanding."

"It is." Charlie assured him. "So all of these are characters from Nintendo."

"Yes, that one game that you and Dean enjoy beating each other up on." Cas said. "Super Smosh Brothers."

Charlie glanced over at him incredulously. "It's Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Smosh is on YouTube." She shook her head to get back on topic, though she made a mental note to start introducing the angel to video games. "Anyway, what are you thinking it is?"

"It's probably a trickster." Cas concluded. "This is their sort of humor and they have the powers needed to pull it off."

"Uh, to tell the truth, I've only hear of one trickster being confirmed as real, and that's _the_ Trickster aka Loki aka Gabriel." Charlie sighed as she felt a prick of disappointment. After Castiel, Gabriel had really been the most interesting angel. He had some freaking character and wasn't evil.

"There are still several around. Anansi, Hermes, Puck, and Coyote are just some examples of beings who, as far as I know, are still active in the world." Cas frowned at the list. "Though as far as I know, there is only one who has this type of pop culture knowledge…" He trailed off. A knowing look passed over his face.

"What?" Charlie asked. She could almost see the light bulb going off.

"It can wait until we're in our motel." He replied.

She gave him another glance but decided to trust him. He always had a reason when it came to stuff like this.

The moment they entered their motel room, it became fairly clear.

Charlie opened her mouth to ask him what was up, but Castiel raised a hand to indicate silence. Curious, she watched as the angel stood in the middle of the room. He had an annoyed look on his face as looked upward. Then, he spoke.

"Gabriel, I know it's you. Reveal yourself now." Castiel crossed his arms and looked around. Charlie wondered if she should say something, but couldn't bring herself to. "Gabriel." He said with a warning tone.

The nerd was about to go to Cas and remind him that his brother was dead, when she heard a fluttering noise. She only could stand in surprise and blinked.

Right in front of Cas stood a shorter man, but she recognized him. She remembered the description from the books and how Castiel would talk about him. There was no doubt in her mind who this was.

"Hey, Cassie." Gabriel grinned. He made a sucker appear from nowhere and stuck it in his mouth.

"Gabriel." Castiel's tone was scolding but at the same time there was a relieved fondness in it. "I see you are up to your old tricks again."

"What can I say?" The archangel shrugged. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Besides, you know I never go after anyone who didn't deserve it." He pulled out his sucker as if trying to make a point.

"I'm sure Dean and Sam would disagree."

"It's not my fault that they never get my lessons. I was trying to help." Gabriel explained. It sounded like he was whining just a bit. "Aren't you glad to see me at all?"

"I am." Finally, Castiel allowed his small smile to escape. "I have been unsure of your complete demise since Metatron's illusion, but I am glad to see you are alive."

"Metatron." Gabriel's voice turned a bit dark and his eyes got a vengeful glint in there. "He tapped into my power for that. It was actually me in that illusion. He's still loose though, right?" Cas gave a guilty nod. The trickster grinned. "Now there's a guy who deserves a taste of my brand of comeuppance."

"I think Dean called dibs." The angel countered.

Charlie couldn't hold it in anymore. She had been trying to keep out of it so the brothers could have their reunion, but this was too much.

She let out a small shriek. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Her inner fangirl was unleashed as she bounced up and down a bit. "You're Gabriel! The freaking Trickster!"

Gabriel finally seemed to notice her. "Well, who's this?" In the blink of an eye, he stood in front of her. "Oh," a spark of realization came into his expression and he smirked, "does the baby in a trench coat have a girlfriend?"

Cas rolled his eyes as Charlie practically choked on the implication. "I'm not her type."

"Not her type?" Gabriel scrunched up his nose. "What could her type be?"

"He'd have a better chance if he somehow got genderbent." Charlie said before she could fully form the thought. She halted for a moment as the image of a female Castiel invaded her brain.

That version was kind of hot and actually a lot more appealing to her interests.

The redhead shook her head to dispel the picture. "Besides," she continued, "I'm pretty sure someone else has dibs on Cas whatever gender he is."

"Ah, don't swing our way huh." Gabriel shrugged as he accepted it. He reached out to clutch her shoulder. "Though as a shipper of that pair, I feel your pain." He sighed and let go of her. "It's so disgusting how into each other they are."

"I'm right here you know." Castiel interjected.

"Quiet, Cas," Charlie held up her hand. "The shippers are talking."

Gabriel grinned. "I like your style, Red. What's your name?"

"Charlie. Charlie Bradbury." She held out her hand, and the archangel shook it.

"No, it's not." He smirked back.

"But it's the one I use." She replied. "You know, after Castiel, you're my favorite angel."

"Well, obviously, you've got good taste." Gabriel laughed. "I don't see why you hang out with the Winchesters then."

Cas sighed as Charlie laughed along. "Can we get back to the case?" He asked.

"Oh, right." Charlie had been so caught up in meeting one of her favorite characters that she had totally forgotten about why they were here in the first place. "So," she gave the archangel the side eye, "could you stop the tricks for now?"

Gabriel sighed as if it was such a great burden. "In honor of meeting you, I guess." He threw away the stick left over from his sucker. Then, he grinned again. "I guess I should go tell the Winchesters I'm back."

Castiel's eyes widened. "Wait, don't – "

Too late. With a flap of his wings, Gabriel was gone. And with his broken wings, there was no way Cas could follow.

Charlie stared at the spot Gabriel had been as the angel sighed once more. "He's going to go play tricks on Dean and Sam, isn't he?" She wasn't really asking him.

"Most likely." His forlorn expression spoke volumes. After all, they had just called a truce to the last prank war not too long ago.

She paused before smiling. "I like him."

For reasons she didn't understand, Cas gave another sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'll admit. I had fun writing this chapter. The biggest decision was actually deciding what sort of karmic justice Gabriel would doling out. I wanted to do a theme that he hadn't already done so I decided on video games. I've also decided that Gabriel's gotten his wings back though none of the other angels have because he's a freaking archangel. He's also the only archangel I genuinely like. Anyway, thank you Dark Goddess2000 for the request. See you.


	29. Don't Piss Off the Nerd Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie catches a glimpse of the angel that Dean first met.

Charlie couldn't remember the last time things had been this bad.

She whirled around and stabbed another demon with the angel blade Cas had given her.

It had started with a case that she had found. It had seemed simple enough, but then she had found the sulfur. The cause of the unrest in the town was demons, and as the Winchesters were busy, Castiel had shown up to help. They had just thought it was a few though.

It wasn't. There were more than just three demons. A lot more.

Charlie cursed Crowley under her breath as she dodged another attack. Upon finding the demon's lair, they had found a whole hoard of demons. The redhead had managed to get rid of a few as she had recorded the demon exorcism on her phone; one of them had managed to grab her phone though and broke it by throwing it against the other words, it had come down to regular, old hand-to-hand combat.

The two had been surrounded and then separated. Luckily, she knew that Cas was still going strong because she could see occasionally the flash from the other room as the angel smote a demon. There were also groans as he stabbed them as well.

It certainly wasn't helping her though, as Charlie just barely managed to avoid getting stabbed. Plus, the way these demons seemed to enjoy the fighting unnerved her.

This was the first time that she had seen them like this. She couldn't help but think that this was probably what made demons _demons_.

It was scary.

"Ah!" She yelped as one of them managed to catch her with its telekinesis and threw her against the wall. Charlie groaned from the impact and tried to move but found she couldn't. She looked up, slightly panicking as the demons drew closer, leering at her vulnerability.

They held their weapons aloft, and Charlie closed her eyes, not wanting them to be her last sight.

A crack of thunder jolted her entire being, and it must have startled the demons as well because she dropped to the floor. She opened her eyes to see what the cause was, and the sight before her made her eyes widen.

Castiel was pissed.

He strode into the room, glowering at the demons. They practically cowered before him.

"Get away from her." The angel growled. There was another crack of thunder and lightning flared, revealing the shadows of broken wings raised in terror.

It was no wonder the demons immediately scrambled away from the nerd.

Charlie couldn't help but stare.

This was the angel as the books first described him. A warrior of God who walked the Earth and feared no demon. The one who gripped Dean Winchester tight and raised him from perdition. The being that could walk into a barn filled with anti-demon symbols, get shot multiple times, and still get stabbed in the chest without blinking an eye.

This was Castiel, angel of the Lord.

He stepped closer to her, Grace lighting up his eyes with a blue glow. As Castiel stepped in front of her, he whispered one single instruction.

"Close your eyes."

Charlie didn't even think about it; she just shut her eyes as tight as she could, though she caught a glimpse of light shining in the angel's palms as he raised them before him.

Light blasted through the entire room and it lit up her eyelids despite her best efforts. Silence fell as the light faded.

"You can open them now." Castiel's voice was gentle, and she opened her eyes to see the angels bending before her and offering a hand up. He looked tired and he cracked a small smile at her.

Charlie returned the smile and took the offered hand.

This was Cas now, her adorable, dorky friend who tried so hard to understand humanity and indulged her nerdy ways.

As she stood, she looked around the room and let out a low whistle.

The demons were spread before them, eyes still smoking from the sight of holy Grace. They were all dead, the angel having smote them all.

Charlie looked back at Cas and he seemed a bit nervous. It took her a moment for her to realize why.

He was worried that she'd be afraid of him. After all, this was probably the first time he had lost his temper in front of her as well as shown off some of the extent of his angelic killing abilities. He usually just preferred to use his blade because of his damaged Grace, and though his skills were awesome, they weren't as spectacular as this display.

Charlie smiled at the angel and gave him a playful nudge. "I can't help but agree with Dean." She said nonchalantly, making her way out of the house without another look at the corpses.

"What?" Cas sounded confused, and as she looked back, her smile widened at the head tilt he was giving her.

"Don't piss off the nerd angel." She replied, remembering Dean's words in one particular story.

Castiel's grateful, relieved smile made it worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Basically, I just wanted some BAMF!Castiel. He can have quite the temper when the people he cares about are in danger. Plus, the sight of the shadows of his wings, even broken as they are due to Metatron's meddling, is always awesome. I realized Charlie probably hadn't seen them yet, so voila! Anyway, see you later!


	30. When You Wish Upon a Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Charlie host a Disney karaoke night, but Charlie can't help but wish that things were a bit more interesting. She learns to be more careful what she wishes for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was writing this chapter, with its original theme, and I decided to throw in some Sabriel at DemigodPrefect's request. Enjoy.

"Here I stand, in the light of day! Let the storm rage on – the cold never bothered me anyway!" Castiel finished singing "Let It Go" as Charlie and Sam gave some enthusiastic claps.

Dean wasn't as enthusiastic.

"That song is so overrated." He grumbled as Cas came back to the couch to sit next to him. The hunter flipped through the book of songs that were programmed into the karaoke machine. "And why are there only Disney songs on this thing?"

"Because some of us are happy to admit that we like Disney and aren't afraid to belt out the songs." Charlie said. "You've got to admit that they're catchy."

Cas gave Dean a glance as he still gave a disgruntled snort. He could tell that the hunter actually was enjoying himself, especially considering how Dean had been perfectly fine with singing, "Why Should I Worry." He just wished that the hunter felt comfortable enough to admit it.

He guessed it just depended on the song.

"Who's up next?" The angel decided to change the subject.

"Dean, come sing 'Hakuna Matata' with me." Sam said, rising from his seat.

"Why?" Dean whined, but at the bitch face being thrown at him, he got up from his seat.

As the music started, Charlie slid next to Cas. "Well, it's working at least," she said.

Cas nodded. The two of them had sponsored this family karaoke night in order to take the boys' minds off of all that was going on, what with the Darkness and all. They had all been working hard, so they deserved a night off. Besides, hopefully with Disney songs nothing bad would come to mind.

"They seem a bit more relaxed than usual." Castiel noted with a hint of satisfaction.

"Can't go wrong with Disney I suppose." Charlie smiled though she gave a small sigh. "Though I wish things would get a bit more interesting."

A foreboding chill ran down his spine. "Charlie," he waited until the redhead was actually looking at him. "I sang the cricket's song about wishing on stars earlier, but there is something that song overlooks."

Charlie turned to him looking a bit confused. "What?"

"Be careful what you wish for." Castiel intoned. After all, he had learned such a thing the hard way.

Charlie opened her mouth to protest as the Winchesters finished their song. Before she could say anything though, the lights gave a distinct flicker.

All four of them leapt up and grabbed their weapons. Lights flickering only meant one thing to the group: trouble.

It turned out to not be the kind of trouble they were expecting.

"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. The medicine go down – medicine go down." Gabriel appeared, microphone in hand, singing one of the classic Mary Poppins' songs.

Slowly they all put down their weapons until the archangel sang the final note. None of them really knew how to react though they had all been aware that he was alive, and he had promised to drop by from time to time.

"Uh…" Sam broke the silence.

"Howdy, ya'll!" Gabriel gave a wave before plopping down on the couch. "Miss me?"

"Gabriel, what are you doing here?" Castiel figured that as the archangel was his brother, he should be the one to deal with him.

"Ah, I couldn't resist! I can't remember the last time I did karaoke!" The archangel picked up the songbook and started flipping through the choices.

"You can't just show up uninvited." Dean protested, but slowly all four of them had relaxed and returned to their seats.

"There's always an open invitation for me." Gabriel cheerily replied. "Hey," he pointed at whatever song he was on, "how about you do '(I Won't Say) I'm in Love,' Dean? It really suits you!"

"What?" An embarrassed flush stained the hunter's cheeks.

"And if Cassie hasn't sung 'Part of Your World' then that's practically a crime as it suits him so well."

"Gabriel." Cas resisted the urge to facepalm. It would only encourage his brother.

"And there are tons of duets you guys should do!" Gabriel smirked over the top of the book.

"Gabriel, lay off them." Sam huffed, sending a bitch face his way.

Charlie's head was going to and fro, following the conversation speaker by speaker. It seemed like she felt a bit left out, and Cas couldn't blame her as she didn't have the sort of history with Gabriel as the rest of them.

"Don't think I forgot about you, Red!" Gabriel turned to her. "How about 'Everybody Wants to Be a Cat' since you're so cool or 'Kiss the Girl?' I could also see you doing 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.' Or maybe you could help me sing 'Fixer-Upper' for my baby bro?"

"Gabriel, knock it off." Sam said a bit more forcefully.

"Fine, as long as you do this duet with me." Gabriel pulled Sam out of his seat and excitedly dragged him over to the karaoke machine. He quickly punched in their song, and as Sam looked over his shoulder, he blushed bright red.

"Seriously, Gabriel?" Sam asked as the opening notes of 'True Love's Kiss' began to play.

"You get to sing the girl part, Samsquatch, on account of having girly hair." The archangel smirked up at him.

Dean also gave a chuckle though he didn't seem to like that his younger brother was singing a cheesy love song duet with the archangel.

Cas leaned over towards Charlie. "Are you happy that things are interesting now?" He tried to hold in a smirk as the nerd groaned.

"I think I've learned my lesson about wishes at least." She said as the singing continued.

Cas leaned back a bit.

This evening truly was going to be unforgettable at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So yeah. I have no clue what exactly is going to be going on with the Darkness and all. The previews make it look like nothing good though. I originally was just going to do karaoke with Disney songs, but then Gabriel showed up and I decided to go through with DemigodPrefect's request for some Sabriel. A lot of the Disney duets suit Destiel, but I think 'True Love's Kiss' goes with Gabriel's overwhelming attitude. I love seeing videos that combine my favorite shows with Disney, and there's a few good ones for SPN. Try searching them sometime; one person has made about 7 videos for it that are awesome.


	31. Gem Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie can't wait for Cas to watch "Jail Break" since Garnet's his favorite character.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Spoilers ahead! If you are watching (or want to watch) Steven Universe and haven't seen "Jail Break" yet, there's spoilers.

"We are the Crystal Gems," Charlie sang as she made some popcorn. "We'll always save the day. And if you think we can't – "

"Charlie, are you almost done?" Cas poked his head into the kitchen. His entire countenance held a quiet air of anticipation. If he had been human, he probably would have been squirming all over the place.

Charlie laughed at the thought. "Yeah, give it a few seconds."

Just as she spoke, the microwave gave a cheery ding, and the nerd removed the popcorn, giving it a shake. Sensing how impatient Cas was, she swiftly popped the bag open and poured its contents of crunchy, buttery goodness into the empty bowl that the two of them had cleared out.

The two of them were marathoning _Steven Universe_ , and Charlie was pleased that Cas was enjoying the show. He was actually getting real into it.

Maybe too into it as he pursed his lips impatiently as she grabbed some pop from the fridge.

"Please hurry Charlie. I want to see what happened to Garnet." The angel said, before turning back to go to the TV room.

The nerd couldn't help the snicker that fell from her lips. Garnet was Castiel's favorite character in the show. She had already heard several rants about how admirable the gem was, so she couldn't wait to see his reaction to what was coming up. They had just finished "The Return," so the next one was "Jail Break."

She tried to contain her dance of anticipation as she returned to the living room.

As she settled down into her seat, Cas shot her a small smile and clicked on the play button for the next episode. She smirked as the opening song played.

Rather than watching the show, Charlie found herself watching Castiel instead. The angel was practically on the edge of his seat as Steven woke up in what appeared to be some sort of cell. His brow was furrowed in worry, because he also liked Steven as one of his favorites.

Then again, Charlie had no idea how someone could possibly hate Steven.

He smiled a bit as Steve escaped, but his expression turned to one of confusion as Steven encountered the gem that he would soon know as Ruby. The nerd could almost hear his questions about who this was and why she was on the gem ship as a prisoner. However, he didn't want to speak and interrupt the flow of the episode.

"You'll find out soon enough." Charlie whispered, and Cas gave her a quick, grateful glance before watching Steven help the gem escape. Though now she saw that he was curious as to who this mysterious Sapphire was as well. Still, he watched Ruby carefully, slightly confused by her erratic behavior.

"She has her gem on her left hand." He noted quietly.

"Yep!" Charlie smiled.

The episode continued, and Castiel's looked sad as the pair found Lapis Lazuli. He had told Charlie before that something about the gem reminded him of Gadreel, and he had hoped that she would have a better fate. Her being imprisoned didn't bode well, and he didn't seem to approve of her apathetic attitude.

"Doing nothing means there's not even a hope of things getting better." Cas muttered almost to himself. Charlie glanced at him, but didn't say anything.

The redhead grinned as Peridot appeared though. Garnet might be Cas's favorite, but personally she preferred the techy green gem.

Castiel tilted his head as Steven met Sapphire. He honestly didn't seem to know what to make of her, just like Ruby. Still, Charlie suppressed her chuckles at what was coming. She could hardly wait.

He smiled though as Ruby and Sapphire reunited. Considering he had the same expression on his face as when he helped out at the animal shelter, she knew she would probably be able to make a shipper out of him. The couple really was cute together, and even the nerd couldn't hold back a smile as Sapphire kissed Ruby's tears away. Though that wasn't even the best part.

Castiel gave a small gasp as the two began glowing when Ruby spun them around, and his eyes widened as the gems fused to form a familiar figure.

"Garnet's a fusion." The angel said in an awed whisper, and his eyes were almost as starry as Steven's.

Charlie didn't think that her smile could get any wider.

Castiel's adorable fanboy behavior didn't stop there. If he weren't an angel, he probably would have been squealing and waving his arms when Garnet began to sing. After all, he had wondered aloud many times over when the gem would get her own solo song.

His face held a child-like look of wonderment as she sang, still recovering from the reveal of Garnet's true identity, so to speak. However, he didn't stop showing that tiny, adorable smile.

This was why Charlie loved introducing stuff to Cas.

It was obvious, as the episode continued and finally came to an end, that nothing was going to quite beat Garnet's reveal and song for Cas for quite awhile when it came to _Steven Universe_.

"That was very bold move." The angel commented as the two of them waited for that awesome episode to sink in before moving on. "Though the gems are supposedly genderless, they use a female form and female pronouns. Has there been such a relationship before on television?"

"Not as up front about it in a cartoon at least." Charlie grinned. After all, Ruby and Sapphire making Garnet was one of the reasons why there was so much attention on the show. "It was bold, but it's really paid off. _Steven Universe_ really is a show about breaking gender stereotypes as well as breaking boundaries on what's on TV. I don't think Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet would have been allowed on TV earlier though, because it's only in like the last decade that it's become more accepted."

Cas gave a thoughtful hum. "I really liked this episode." He finally said, though he really didn't have to say it aloud for her to know it. She grinned, and fairly soon they were starting the next episode.

That smile came back a few days later as Charlie heard Cas singing, "Stronger Than You," under his breath as he shelved books in the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know that I don't normally post spoiler warnings, because with the exception of SPN events itself, most of the things I talk about are at least several years old. When I do do something more recent, like Inside Out, I try to keep it vague in regards to what's happening story-wise there so there isn't much to spoil. If it's been a couple of years though, I'm going to assume that you've had a chance to see/read it. This past summer, I finally got around to seeing two shows that had been on my list Steven Universe and Gravity Falls. SU was put on there when the one club I was in voted it best new show and show that's breaking the most boundaries. I love both of these shows, and I'll be sure to do GF later. I had Cas have my favorite character (Garnet), while Charlie's preference comes from my brother (Peridot). Though I will admit that in the last couple of episodes, the green gem has really grown on me.


	32. The Good Guy Friend Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's that time of the month and Charlie needs Cas to pick up some things.

Cas sighed as he slid into the front seat of his car. On top of trying to stop the Darkness with the Winchesters, he was still helping out Heaven in the wake of the Metatron fiasco. Luckily, he had managed to get Bobby out from where they had placed him.

Angels were so ridiculously stubborn. Castiel knew that he really had no place to talk, but his brethren seemed to be more inclined to attack first, ask questions later, when all he wanted to do was try to compromise with them.

The angel decided to head back to the Bunker as he had done all he could in this situation. He'd text Hannah later to inform him that the pair he just talked to refused to return so it was better to let them be.

It was as he was about an hour away from the Bunker that his cell phone rang. A glance told him that it was Charlie, so he picked it up.

"Charlie, is something wrong?" Castiel asked.

"H-hey, Cas?" The nerd sounded uncharacteristically nervous. "Uh, where are you?"

He frowned a bit. "About an hour from the Bunker." Her hesitation was beginning to make him worry. "Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." She said hurriedly. "Dean and Sam aren't here, and I wouldn't want to ask them anyway, so could you please do it?" The words rushed out as if that would make him instantly do what she wanted.

Based on past experiences though, the angel knew to always make sure what he was agreeing to. "Charlie, I'd be happy to do a favor for you." He told her, as he pulled over to the side of the road. Cas was fine with talking and driving, but he had a feeling that this would require more attention than usual. "However, I need to know what it is you would want me to do. Why wouldn't you ask Sam and Dean?"

"Oh, God." He heard her mutter, and he began to realize that she sounded embarrassed. "I, uh, need you to pick up some lady items for me."

"Lady items?" Castiel had no clue what that meant. He quickly went through the things he knew women tended to use. "Like make-up?" He wasn't sure why she needed this as she wore the bare minimum if she wore make-up at all.

"No." Charlie sounded a little frustrated. "It's because it's shark week."

"I don't exactly see the correlation, but Dean should be happy to hear that. I don't know why he finds them fascinating though." Cas tilted his head at her words.

"No, not that shark week. Uh, Aunt Flo's visiting."

"I didn't know you had an Aunt Flo. Is the make-up for her?"

"No, Cas, jeez." He could almost imagine her facepalm. "I'm trying to be delicate here. I'm on my period, okay?"

Castiel waited a moment, figuring there was more to it than that. As there was no more new information, he couldn't help but ask, "Period of what?"

Charlie made a curious squeaking noise. He blinked, as he had never heard her make a sound like that. "My menstrual cycle?" She croaked out quietly.

Realization slammed into Castiel like a low-flying duck. "Oh." He said, as it sunk in. "Oh."

"Yeah." Charlie huffed, but he could tell she was relieved that he finally got it.

"I see…" Cas could feel a blush beginning to work its way across his cheeks. For some reason, now he felt embarrassed for not realizing it sooner. "I would be happy to purchase whatever you need." He told her as he calmed down. "However, I will admit that I am not quite sure what precisely I'm supposed to get?"

"Yeah, I figured that." The angel held back an indignant huff, because he could see where she was coming from. "Okay, I need some pads. Make sure they're long super ones."

"Alright." Cas had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but he figured it'd be clearer when he got to store.

"Thank you." There was palpable relief in her voice, and Cas supposed that would make it worth it. "You're the best, Cas."

There was a light smile on his face as he hung up.

He could do this for his friend.

* * *

This was a bit more complicated than Castiel thought it would be.

The angel stood in the appropriate aisle and he couldn't help but stare. A frown adorned his face as he looked over all of the different kinds of "lady items."

 _Why are there so many different kinds of pads and tampons?_ He looked at the price tag. _And why are these so expensive? These are a necessity for women; it's not like they want to require these. Why would they charge so much?_

There was so much variety, Cas wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do. He could see the type specified by Charlie, but there were several different brands. Some people were particular about what kinds of things they got. The nerd didn't seem like the person who would care, but he wasn't sure. Therefore, it was a bit of a conundrum.

Castiel was so engrossed in his task that he didn't notice all of the odd looks he was getting from other women stopping in the aisle. After all, it was weird enough for a man to even step foot in this particular aisle, but a tall, middle-aged looking man in a trench coat? Never.

Cas finally came to a decision. He grabbed one of the cheaper ones with Charlie's preferences, and started to head for the cash register. He slowed to a stop though as a thought occurred to him.

He did not have much experience with this sort of situation to be sure, but he had seen it on television and in books before. It was unfortunate that women had to go through this, even if it was necessary for the reproductive process. There were several things that could be done to help relieve her pain though.

Castiel picked up a few more things before heading to the register.

The girl working the register scanned his items, only raising an eyebrow when she first saw them. "So." She glanced up at him as she rang him up. "Are these for your girlfriend?"

Cas frowned. "She is a girl and my friend, but we are not in a relationship." He explained, knowing the common connotations of that phrase.

"Huh." The girl, Lindsey according to her tag, looked thoughtful. "And here I thought she was giving you the Boyfriend Test." She placed his items in a bag.

"Boyfriend Test?" The angel asked with a tilt of his head as he handed over his credit card.

"Yeah, I think it's something that started on Tumblr." She shrugged. "Basically, it's just when a girl sends their guy to get their stuff. Some boys get so embarrassed, you know, and it's just hilarious." Lindsey looked up at him. "But you can tell who the real men are, because they don't make any sort of fuss." She ripped off his receipt and handed it to him. "You know, you might not be her boyfriend, but whoever manages to get you will be really lucky, whatever you're into."

Castiel blinked at her, holding his receipt, credit card, and bag. "Thank you." He hadn't really been told that before, especially based off such evidence.

"No probs." She gave him a small wave as he left. "Have a nice day!"

It didn't take too long to get to the Bunker from the store. As he entered the library, he called out for the redhead.

"Thank God!" Charlie said, as she hurried in. "Thank you so much, Cas!" Her expression shifted a bit as she noticed that there were more things in the bag than just pads. "What else did you get?"

Cas pulled out the pads first and handed them to her; then he started to pull out his other purchases. "I bought some other things that I thought would help during this time." Charlie's eyes widened as she saw what he'd gotten.

On the table, Cas set a giant bar of Hershey's chocolate. Chocolate was generally considered a cure-all in such situations. The chocolate was followed by a bottle of Ibuprofen and a hot water bottle to help with the cramps. Finally, he pulled out a teddy bear. It had soft black fur with a brown face and its black button eyes just begged to be hugged.

Charlie gently took the bear, ignoring the other items. Once the nerd had told Cas about a bear that she used to have as a child that was lost in the aftermath of her parents' accident. The angel had tried to find one as close as possible, and she gave the bear a sad smile.

"Thanks, Cas." Charlie said softly as she gave Castiel a quick hug. "You really are the best friend a girl could have." She held the bear close, not putting it down for a second, and then she hurried off to put on a pad.

Cas looked after her and smiled, glad that he had been able to help her in more than one way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Well, I've finally recovered from the Season premiere. Kind of. I'll be ruined in the next episode again. Anyway, so I read a Soul Eater fic that talked about the Boyfriend Test and I saw a Tumblr post about it. It supposedly separates the men (those who are cool with getting this stuff) from the boys (those who are grossed out by it). However, I thought it would be funny if Cas was asked to get it by Charlie. In that case, it's more of a test of how good your friend is. Plus, it's shark week, so I was really inspired I guess you could say.


	33. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie awakens back in Oz, only she's surrounded by some familiar yet different faces.

Something was off. Charlie could tell that even before she opened her eyes. Because of that, she was surprised to see a brilliant blue sky above her when she blinked her eyes open.

That was the same moment that instead of her Star Trek t-shirt and Avengers pajama bottoms, she seemed to be wearing a skirt.

Charlie sat up straight and looked down at herself. She frowned at the white, short-sleeved button-down with a blue and white checkered dress over it. Her gaze halted though as she saw a pair of ruby short-heeled shoes. Her eyes widened.

That shouldn't be possible.

Besides, they didn't really look like that. She glanced around. The scenery was bright and colorful, and though it was similar to the world she had spent much time in and fought for, it still was more like the old movie with Judy Garland than anything else.

"Charlie?" The familiar voice came from behind her. She whirled around, grateful to find a familiar face in the middle of a situation that she had no clue how she got into this situation. Charlie stopped short though when she saw her friend before her. Or should she say friends.

It certainly looked like her friends, though they had changed quite a bit.

Sam was a scarecrow, with a plaid button top, old frayed jeans for his legs, and what looked like a trucker hat on top of his head. Straw peaked out of various holes and gaps among the material.

Dean was a lion, the actual beast, though he stood on his hind legs and there was something about his face that made her sure that it was her friend. He also wore an amulet around his neck, and though Charlie had never seen it with her own eyes, she would guess that it was the infamous Samulet.

Finally, there was Castiel, the one who had called out to her. Though he still wore that beloved trench coat of his, he seemed to be made of metal. He was looking at her in concern.

The pieces were clicking into place even as she looked down at the sound of small yips. At her feet sat a small Scottish dog looking up at her and wagging his butt in his excitement. Picking him up, she read the small tag around his neck: Impala.

She was in some sort of twisted version of the _Wizard of Oz_ , only now it was starring her and her friends.

"Charlie?" She looked up as Cas called her name once more. "Are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah." Charlie pulled herself up onto her feet, still holding the dog close. "Never been better."

"Ah." Cas tilted his slightly with a small creak. "I hope you had a pleasant enough rest. I wondered about waking you so we could continue our journey, and Lion said…"

"People only need four hours." Dean jumped into the conversation. "Any longer than that and you're liable to get jumped in your sleep."

Sam threw him a bitch face. "You do know that's not likely correct, right?"

"What would you know, Scarecrow? You haven't got any brains, much less left your corn field before." Dean argued, facing Sam. "I actually know what's out there."

"And you're scared of all of it."

"For good reason!"

The two continued to argue as she and Cas watched. "Wow, even here they're like this." Charlie muttered.

"Hmm?" Castiel looked over at her curiously.

"Ah," she realized her slip, "I mean, they remind me of some people I know, back home in Kansas."

"I see." The angel, well, tin man here she supposed, gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry I'm sure the Wizard will be able to return you home."

"I hope he grants all of our wishes." Dean said, finally finishing off his fight with Sam.

"Well, we're not getting any closer just standing here." Sam said, face in resting bitch position.

"Let's go!" Dean gave an enthusiastic fist pump as they began to walk down the yellow brick road.

"Not so fast!" The group halted at the shout, and Charlie frowned as she looked up in the direction the accented voice came from. As she saw who it was, she had act quickly as she almost dropped the dog still in her arms.

From the top of a near-by cabin nestled in the dark forest stood the Wicked Witch. A condescending smirk stretched over green lips as she looked down on all of them. However, Charlie recognized the Witch.

"Rowena?" She asked incredulously.

Rowena's eyes narrowed at her. "How do you know my real name?"

"Seriously, what the hell is going on?" Charlie ignored the witch, because she had no clue how she had gotten here, much less what was going on. It was beginning to freak her out.

Of course, Rowena didn't like being ignored and raised her hands as she began chanting a spell. Castiel, Dean, and Sam quickly placed themselves between the witch and Charlie though.

"You will not lay a finger on her." Cas vowed, holding up his axe in a way that suggested that he knew exactly how to use it.

"Yeah, what's your problem anyway?" Dean couldn't help but ask.

"It won't matter soon enough." Rowena tossed the group a feral grin. "Seeing as you all will be dead." She threw a giant fire ball at them.

Charlie was about to yell, because she did not want to get barbequed today, when she heard a voice calling her and it didn't quite fit the scene.

"Charlie… Charlie… Charlie?" It asked. "Oh, are you asleep?"

Charlie blinked her eyes open, noting the ceiling of the Bunker above her. The nerd's face scrunched in confusion at the sudden change of scenery.

"Apologies." She looked over to the left to see Castiel sitting next to her on the couch. A glance at the TV showed Dorothy and the rest of her gang being welcomed in the Emerald City. "I didn't realize you were asleep." Cas continued, and he appeared guilty for waking her.

Oh, now that all made sense.

"Don't feel bad." Charlie rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes and yawned. This was just what the redhead got for pulling an all night gaming session with Dean. However, she hadn't wanted to delay introducing the angel to musicals. She had figured the _Wizard of Oz_ was a classic that was as good a place to start as any. "I was having a really weird dream." She glanced over at him. "Did you have something you needed?"

"Well," he looked a bit embarrassed, "I've only ever been stationed in this dimenion, so I was wondering if that was really what Oz looked like." Cas gestured at the TV in general.

Charlie turned to the TV and gave it a contemplative look. Finally, she said, "The scenery is really similar in a lot of ways to what this movie shows, but the people were a whole lot crazier." With a sharp pain, the thought of Dorothy passed through her mind. Unfortunately, there was no way to go back to Oz at the moment.

"I see." With that, Cas turned back to the screen and became immersed once more in the story.

However, Charlie couldn't help but think about her dream and the roles that each of her boys had been placed in: Castiel as the nearly indestructible Tin Man who wished for a heart but actually had a bigger one than anyone else; Sam as the Scarecrow who could think up crazy plots that actually worked but didn't think he had a brain; and Dean as the Cowardly Lion who was afraid of everything but pushed past it to help his friends and family.

She smiled.

After all, it really did fit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: One of my hobbies is doing community theater when I have the time. I love musicals, and I wanted to show Cas's reactions to them. We won't see anymore for a while (I've got quite a few ideas between this and the next musical on my list), but I figured Wizard of Oz was as good of a place to start as any. Also, I had wanted to do this anyway, because Charlie+Oz+Similarities-between-Team-Free-Will-and-Dorothy's-Friends was just too good of a chance to pass up. Though I'm pretty sure the people there are crazy. I read the book for the first time this past summer, and Dorothy literally ended up killing the Wicked Witch (who didn't even appear until after Dorothy and co. were told to go kill her) when she splashed water on her to try to give her back her one shoe. Yeah, really weird.


	34. Just Keep Swimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Charlie watch Finding Nemo and Cas finds that some of its lessons resonate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by IsabellaFaye11. Thanks!

Castiel just barely kept himself from collapsing onto the couch in what had become the living room of the Bunker. Despite the fact that he was an angel, he was exhausted. It had been another failure of a day trying to find a way to defeat the Darkness as well as dealing with a whole bucket load of troubles on top of that.

He sighed. There was really only one way to solve this.

With a groan, Cas got up and went over to where they kept all of their DVDs. He flipped through them, and stopped as he came across a mostly blue box with a couple colorful fish and turtles.

" _Finding Nemo_?" He read aloud. It was a Pixar movie, but it wasn't one that he had seen before.

The angel thought about it a moment and took it over to the player. He figured it was as good as any.

The movie was starting to play and already Castiel could feel himself being drawn in by the colorful coral reef. He couldn't help how well the companies had done again in getting the details right. He wondered if they had taken the time to visit the reefs or used photographs.

"Hey, Cas." Castiel looked over his shoulder to see Charlie standing in the doorway. He paused the movie as she adjusted to hold her laptop in one hand so she could give him a wave. "I didn't know you were back."

"I didn't expect to be back so early." He admitted. Cas had thought it would take longer to track down his contact. It was hard enough to find people older than angels, but he had hoped that reapers, being Death's servants, would know more.

"What are you watching?" She walked over and looked at the screen. A smile lit up her face. " _Finding Nemo_! I love Dory!" She plopped down next to him, though she didn't close her laptop. "I can't wait for the sequel since we're finally getting one."

"Ah, it's a good one?" Castiel had learned that Charlie gave great advice when it came to her sacred pop culture.

"Yep! Play it!" Charlie continued typing as he hit the play button.

The scene with the fish school was amazing. If there was one thing that Pixar knew how to do, it was how to truly showcase its ability with its amazing CGI graphics. The colors were amazing as always and the movements were incredible.

The angel could so easily emphasize with Marlin's plight. It seemed like he was always looking for something, generally just as desperately. First it was his father, then a way to stop Raphael, then a way to make up for his sins, then a way to stop Metatron, the Mark, the Darkness…

It really never stopped.

Castiel couldn't help but admire how the clownfish kept on going forward even though everything seemed to be against him. He was glad that Dory stayed by his side. Even if she was forgetful, she was just what was needed to keep things light-hearted. She was like the yin to his yang.

And she always picked him up when he was down.

Sometimes literally, Cas saw.

"Hey, Mr. Grumpy Gills." Dory swam up to the clownfish. "When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do?"

"I don't wanna know what you gotta do when life gets you down." Marlin groused. In some ways, it reminded Castiel of Bobby when he would have the Winchester's latest problem thrust on him. However, Bobby, though realistic, was certainly a lot more optimistic than Marlin.

"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming." Dory took his fin and began to lead him down to the mask. "What do we do? We swim, swim, swim."

Beside him, Charlie was laughing at her antics, but Cas felt something lightening in his heart.

That was how they were able to go on. No matter what all they could do was "keep swimming" and moving forward. They had to continue on, because nothing would be accomplished just by staying in place. And if they didn't do it, who would?

They had to keep going on in the hope that someday this would all pass and things would be better. For Marlin, that was his reunion with his son. For Castiel, he couldn't help but think it would be the day that the Winchesters didn't have to fight on the behalf of the world anymore.

Cas eagerly watched the rest of the movie, more into it now than he had even been before. It was Disney, so the chances of a happy end were highly probably, but he still couldn't take his eyes away. Plus, the graphics made it a wonderful view.

His heart caught both times Marlin thought his son had died or been badly injured. Still, by the close of the movie, he was smiling along with Charlie. He was glad that Dory got to stay with the clownfish father/son duo.

"You said that there is going to be a sequel to this?" Cas asked the nerd as the credits played.

"Yeah! Finally!" Charlie turned towards him. "It's called _Finding Dory_ and we're going to learn more about her past it seems."

"We'll have to go see it. I like Dory." Personally, he wondered if anyone could actually hate the blue fish.

"Yeah, though I still can't believe we got a _Cars 2_ before we got a sequel to this or _The Incredibles_." Charlie wrinkled her nose at the thought of that movie.

"There is… a sequel to _Cars_?" Cas reflected her expression. He had seen both _The Incredibles_ and _Cars_ already, and while he could see why the superhero movie could warrant a sequel, _Cars_ …

It was okay, but it certainly was his least favorite of the Pixar movies that he had seen.

"Yeah." The redhead nodded, understanding his feelings. "Actually, _Incredibles_ is getting a sequel, too." She smiled and bounced a little in excitement.

"We shall have to see that as well." Castiel said, and he knew that these were just two more reasons to keep swimming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I love Finding Nemo. Thank you to IsabellaFaye11 for the request! I think this particular message, "Just keep swimming" is especially relevant in the SPN universe. It's like the "Always Keep Fighting" campaign. Even if things are gloomy and everything is going wrong, we have to keep going forward, because someday things may get better. It's hard, but we can at the very least try. I hope everyone has someone like Dory to keep them going.


	35. Who You Gonna Call?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why do they never call the Ghostbusters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by Jess-Cast1800. Happy Halloween!

"Why do we never call them?" Cas couldn't help but ask as he couldn't take his eyes off the screen.

Distantly, he could hear Sam and Charlie's conversation about the best way to take out vampire nests come to a halt. He also heard Dean sigh. "What are you watching now?" The hunter asked as he made his way over.

"The Ghostbusters." Castiel looked up over his shoulder at him, away from the commercial with the catchy tune that was showing.

"Uh, Cas, you do know they aren't real, right?" Dean leaned against the back of the couch, before apparently making the decision to join him by coming around and sitting next to him.

"Oh." Cas blinked back towards the screen. "I had thought that this was a group similar to the Ghostfacers, only older in origin." After all, it was something he had come across on TV. The angel quickly realized that he should have known better as the specters they faced were highly unrealistic.

Castiel had never heard of a Slimer before and that really should have tipped him off.

"The who?" Charlie wrinkled her nose as both Winchesters burst out laughing.

"The Ghostbusters like the Ghostfacers?" Dean wiped a couple of tears from his eyes. "The Ghostbusters are actually somewhat competent."

"Wait, you actually know who they are?" Sam asked, the thought finally occurring to him as he stopped laughing.

"Yes, I had to deliver a message to them. They are not like they were described in the prophet's work." Cas frowned at the TV, remembering that time he met them. And a few of their encounters since then. "You are right; it is somewhat insulting to compare the Ghostbusters to them."

"I'll say." Dean snorted. He looked back at the table. "Sammy, Charlie, come join us. You can get back to your geeky stuff later."

With a sigh, that wasn't really genuine the angel could tell, the two nerds joined them.

As the movie came to a close, Cas found that he liked it. He may not have understood all of the humor, but it had made the Winchesters and Charlie laugh plenty after they joined him. It was always good to see them smiling.

Of course, that's also when the Winchester brothers began to argue.

"I'm telling you, I would be Venkman." Dean was saying, kicking back with his beer. "I'm obviously the leader and I've got the way with the ladies."

"Really?" Sam gave him a skeptical look. "So you're into people who are possessed by supernatural entities?"

Charlie gave a snort at that.

"You're just mad because you're totally Stantz." Dean countered. He chuckled to himself.

Castiel and Charlie watched the exchange back and forth like it was some sort of match. He found himself giving her a glance which she met. They smiled at each other before turning their attention back.

There was nothing like a Winchester argument as long as lives weren't on the line.

"Excuse me?" Sam looked taken aback.

"Well, you're nerdy and into science. And you're responsible for the paperwork."

"Really?" Sam crossed his arms, leveling a glare at his brother. "Well, the car is Stantz's. The Impala is yours. You're Stantz."

"What?" Dean sat up, obviously indignant. "No, you're Stantz."

They went back and forth. Cas frowned.

"Why don't either one of them want to be Stantz?" He asked Charlie, confused.

"He's seen as the plucky comic relief. Would you want to be compared with a guy who lead the ultimate destruction to look like a giant marshmallow man?" Charlie pointed out.

The angel had to concede to that. Still, Stantz was a fairly good character.

"You're the one who can freaking quote the Bible!" Dean was saying now.

"Yeah, except he got it wrong." Sam threw him a bitch face. "Besides, if it's quoting scripture, shouldn't Cas be a better candidate for Stantz?"

"Nope." Charlie finally interjected. Cas looked at her in surprise. "Cas is definitely Egon."

Both Winchesters stopped in their tracks. They turned to look at Castiel, and the angel felt slightly uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

"Yeah. Cas is Egon." Sam agreed.

"No one else here can achieve the same levels of awkwardness." Dean nodded his head.

Cas couldn't help but wonder if he should feel insulted or not.

"So, Dean is Venkman, Sam is Stantz, and Cas is Egon." Charlie concluded, ignoring Sam's splutters of protest and Dean's triumphant smirk. "What does that make me? Winston?"

They all frowned.

"It doesn't really fit." Dean muttered, his face twisting in his concentration.

"Yeah, Winston barely has a role." Sam agreed.

There was really only one character who Cas thought Charlie could possibly fit, even if it wasn't perfect.

"You could be the sarcastic secretary. After all, you look after us." Castiel suggested.

"Hmm." Charlie sat back as she thought it over. She brought her cell phone out of her pocket and put it up to her ear. "Ghostbusters! Whaddya want?" She quoted in a Brooklyn accent.

Sam and Dean laughed and even Cas couldn't help smiling.

The boys left in order to get ready for bed shortly after, while Charlie settled down with her tablet next to Cas as he read his latest book. The redhead would often stay up later than the Winchesters, claiming that years of late night nerding had resulted in sleeping problems.

"Hey, Cas." He looked up at the sound of her voice, and she swung her tablet to face him. "I think I've found a haunting for us to do. Want to leave for it in the morning?"

Castiel thought it over a moment and then he gave her a small smile. "Well, I ain't afraid of no ghost." He told her.

Her eyes lit up as she laughed at his response.

Personally, Cas was happy to successfully make a reference that others got. It always was a nice feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Happy Halloween! (One day early) I wanted to post this earlier this week, but I had a paper due, and work, and then my professor dumped a whole lot more work on us. Grad school is hard. Plus, I had an idea for a fic that I've started, but " distracted me. Still, I really wanted to get this up. It's the Ghostbusters, as requested by Jess-Cast1800 a while back (I think when I did the LOTR comparisons). I thought this was funny, and really enjoyed doing this.


	36. Badass Trench Coats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas finds some competition when it comes to trench-coat-wearing Supernatural fighters.

"What's this?"

Charlie looked up at the sound of Castiel's voice. His head was tilted at the TV and his brow was furrowed. She glanced at it.

"Uh, I don't know." She got up from where she was wrapping up their latest case and joined him on the bed, studying the British guy on TV who appeared to be casting as spell of some sort. The redhead picked up the remote and brought up the episode information. " _Constantine_?" She read aloud.

"I've never heard of this show." Castiel continued.

"It was on NBC last year before it was canceled." Charlie commented based on what she had heard on the Internet. "It's based off a comic book, I think."

She had vaguely heard about the series, since she had never seen it or read it herself. It starred an exorcist who fought against evil and stuff. The redhead didn't remember much about it, but she certainly remembered the outrage that had come when it was cancelled and how several had hoped it'd be picked up by the CW or Netflix.

Charlie looked up at the screen, blinking as an angel showed up. She raised an eyebrow as she sat down. He was played by the one guy from _Lost_. And he seemed decidedly unhelpful.

Neither of them talked as the episode played out. A preacher came back from the dead after yanking a feather out of an angel's wing and was doing miracles. The miracles were coming back to bite as they were apparently becoming ghouls.

It was interesting to say the least.

The angels were certainly different than the ones in this universe. Time seemed to have stopped as the angel was occupying the space a different person was taking up. Eyes flashed gold, and the wings just seemed… off compared to what she had seen of Castiel's. Then again, the Winchesters' angel had had his wings broken beyond repair. At least the state of his wings seemed to confirm that the "Lose a feather and you'll be grounded and die" thing didn't apply here.

There was something else bugging her as she watched though, when it came to Constantine himself. There was something familiar about him that she couldn't place.

Charlie frowned as she watched the exorcist. There was something about his messy hair, the dress pants and shirt, the incorrect tie, the trench coat…

She gasped right at the same time that Zed managed to steal the feather back. Cas paid her no mind as he continued to watch. However, she found herself looking between the angel and the television.

Castiel and Constantine's outfits were remarkably similar. The angel had probably looked even more like him before since he now had his tie correctly done. Baring the fact that Cas seemed to prefer blue ties over red and wore a suit jacket under his coat, their clothes were almost exactly the same.

It reminded her of that one Tumblr post from a few years back. Badass really did come with a trench coat.

She barely even noticed the rest of the episode as it settled down and drew to a close.

"That was fairly good." She jumped when Cas spoke. Looking at the TV again, she saw that it was over.

"Yeah," Charlie agreed though she hadn't really paid any attention in the last quarter. "So angel wings don't work like that?" She tried to get her mind back on track from what she had noticed.

"While angel feathers can be used as a powerful component of certain spells, we do not die from losing them." Cas confirmed her earlier suspicions. "It is exceeding painful to have them pulled out though or even have an injury to our wings. That's why they are usually targeted for – " He stopped speaking suddenly, looking uncomfortable, but Charlie could easily fill in the blanks.

It sounded like he was speaking from experience and she wondered when exactly he had been tortured in such a manner. Then again, the books had never really gone into detail what exactly had been done to him when he had been yanked out of Jimmy's body.

"And angels obviously don't go to Hell when they Fall." Charlie pointed out.

"No most angels fall to Earth." The angel explained. "Those who have been cast into Hell and later turned do not remain angels; instead, they tend to become some of the most powerful demons."

"Really?" The redhead couldn't help but be intrigued. It had never occurred to her that angels could become demonic as they didn't have souls to be twisted.

"Yes, why do you think Azazel was named in such a way?"

"Oh, that makes a whole lot more sense." She agreed. After all, old Yellow Eyes had been powerful, creepy, and as far as she knew he was the only demon who could walk into people's dreams. "Lucifer didn't become a demon though." She countered.

"He is an archangel." That was a very valid point. Castiel gave her a fixed look though. "Charlie, I sense that there is something else you wish to talk about."

Oops. Charlie had forgotten about his angel senses. "Well," she found herself fidgeting a bit, "did anything about Constantine strike you as familiar?"

Cas tilted his head in thought. "His accent did remind me very much of Crowley." He admitted.

The nerd managed to avoid facepalming. He was right, but he was looking in the wrong place. "I was thinking more about his appearance."

"His appearance?"

"Well," she gestured at Cas and finally blurt out, "the two of you dress almost exactly alike."

Castiel looked down at himself. "Hmm." He thoughtfully hummed. "You are somewhat correct."

"I know, right!" It had only been bugging her for a short while, but she was glad to get that off her chest.

"I wonder if Jimmy was a fan." Cas looked up to meet her gaze.

Charlie sighed. "Who knows?" She got up to get her laptop from the table. "I guess it just goes to show that people in trench coats rock at being badass."

"That's not the term I would use." Castiel turned off the TV and got up. "Would you like me to get you some supper?" He asked, ending the conversation.

Later, after finding the Tumblr post once more and seeing all of the other people who wore trench coats or long coats, she realized that Castiel basically just confirmed it and he was part of quite an elite group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I like Constantine. I didn't watch it on TV (as I had things going on on Friday nights), but I did look up the episodes on Hulu and watch them as they became available. I don't watch Arrow, but I made sure to tune in to the episode that had Constantine in it. Plus, the people of Supernatural have admitted that they based Cas's look off of the exorcist. In all seriousness though, I do think that trench coats and coolness go together. There's quite a few Tumblr post that I've seen pop up on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest that show this. Just a little bit of fun. :)


	37. Benefits of Frying Pans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tangled gives Cas new ideas on how to fight the supernatural.

"Dear God, more Disney movies?" Dean couldn't help but say as he walked into the room where Castiel had been marathoning more Disney.

"Hello, Dean." The angel spared the hunter a glance before turning his attention back to the screen. The television showed Rapunzel singing and dancing with the lowlifes of the Snuggly Duckling.

He smiled at the sight. It was true that the movie held only the barest details of the original story, but he had come to expect that from Disney. There was still great entertainment to be had from the quirky characters and wonderful songs.

"Geez, all of these princess movies are going to turn you into a bigger girl than Sam." Dean was muttering behind him.

"Technically, I have no gender." Cas felt the need to remind him.

The hunter snorted. "Pretty sure you're a dude, Cas."

Cas sighed. He really didn't feel like getting into this argument right now. After all, he had reminded Dean several times in the past that his vessel was not necessarily _him_.

Castiel turned his attention back to the movie. Actually, since this movie had started, there was something that had occurred to him.

"You and Rapunzel have the same eyes." Cas couldn't help but comment.

He could hear the sounds of Dean's indignant splutters. "Dude, you can't just compare a guy's eyes to a princess."

Cas didn't respond as Flynn fought off soldiers with a frying pan.

Frying pans seemed like they were really useful. Maybe he should carry one around.

* * *

Castiel silently cursed. Who would have thought that these witches would enslave ghosts?

Dean and Sam had gone after the witches, taking his angel blade to help take them out, as bullets had proved to be inefficient. However, he and Charlie had not been expecting the ghosts to attack.

The redhead gave a frustrated grunt as she clicked her gun. It was out of bullets. They had not been able to locate any iron implements to make them disappear, and they were also out of salt. They were surrounded, but at this point using his Grace to eradicate the ghosts would be a waste of Grace. They needed a weapon.

Suddenly, Cas became aware of a weight in his pocket. He blinked. He had almost forgotten that he had slipped one into his coat after that movie, but due to the power he had placed on his clothes, he hadn't even been aware of it.

A slight smile crossed his face as he pulled it out.

With a single swing, he took out half of the ghosts with his iron frying pan.

He could almost hear Charlie's jaw drop. With his new weapon, he easily dispelled the ghosts.

Now that they finally had a moment to breath, he turned to Charlie, who was staring at the frying pan. "Where on Earth did you get that?" She lowered her gun.

"I forgot I had it in my pocket."

She stared at it for a moment. Then, she slowly started to laugh.

The angel smiled a bit at the sight of her laughing. It was a great contrast to just moments.

"Oh my god." She finally started to calm down. " _Tangled_?"

"Yes." Castiel felt pleased as she got the reference.

Charlie took the pan from his hand to study it just as the first of the ghosts flickered back. With a overhand swing, she took them out. She grinned down at it. "I've got to get me one of these!"

With the help of the frying pan and passing it back and forth, they managed to hold off the ghosts until the boys had finished off the witches and broken the spell keeping them on this plane.

When they joined back up with the Winchesters, Sam looked down at Cas's hand, a puzzled expression on his face. "Cas, what's up with the frying pan?"

Both of the boys looked confused as Charlie burst into laughter and Cas gave a huff of laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just a cute little something. Frying pans are awesome, especially as they're shown in Tangled. It seems like the perfect weapon against ghosts.


	38. A Tale of Two Pairs of Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie decides to introduce Cas to anime, using one of the best series in existence.

Charlie frowned as she scrolled through the anime selections offered by Hulu. She had thought about giving Cas a taste of anime since they had time for a small marathon. Of course, depending on the series, they might not get through all of one, but they could at least get started on it. It really depended. They could probably get through almost all of the _Hetalia_ series, but they wouldn't make a dent in bigger series like _Naruto_ , _Bleach_ , _One Piece_ , or _Fairy Tail_.

The nerd let out a frustrated sigh. Life was full of tough choices.

"Have you chosen one yet?" Cas came into her room, touting a large bowl of pop corn and some root beers for Charlie.

"Almost." She replied with more confidence than she felt. She gave a side-eye at _The Devil is a Part-timer!_ just for how hilarious the concept sounded, but then she came across a picture of a small guy in a bright red coat standing next to someone in a giant suit of armor.

Charlie remembered loving the original anime series of _Full Metal Alchemist_. She had thought the ending for it wasn't as good as it could have been. After all, with the movie finishing off the series, Ed and Winry had ended up in different universes! It wasn't fair!

However, she hadn't had time to watch the newer version, _Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood_. All of her friends online raved about it, talking about how it followed the manga better and was better paced than the original series.

Also, in either version, there was a lot of metaphors to various religions and philosophies, which Cas tended to love.

Decision made, she settled back as Cas came to sit next to her on the bed. The laptop balanced between their laps. She pulled up the page for the show.

"What's this?" Castiel tilted his head towards the show.

"It's an anime about two brothers on a journey to both redeem themselves and maybe save the world along the way." Charlie said, as she clicked on the first episode. "I saw the original anime, but I've been told that this newer one is even better. We'll get to discover it together."

The angel threw her a small smile as the show began.

Right off the bat, the redhead couldn't help but think that the animation was a lot better than the original series. It also had a faster pace, as the first episode helped introduce the series to newcomers but didn't simply rehash it for old viewers.

Also, even though the next few episodes were things that had been in the original series, there was still that fast pace that kept it exciting.

She loved it.

It seemed that in a blink of an eye six episodes had already passed. They decided to take a break at that point so Charlie could use the restroom and Cas could make more snacks.

"So what do you think?" Charlie asked after quickly doing her business. This newer series was so awesome she wanted to get back to it as soon as possible.

Castiel was quiet for a moment as he set the down the food and drinks. "The Elric brothers remind me of Dean and Sam."

She blinked. She couldn't deny that the thought had crossed her mind for a moment, but she had been so into the story that she had simply brushed it off. Of course, Cas had caught it.

"Yeah, kinda." She admitted. "I probably should have realized it just from the description I gave you."

"Yes, even that reminded me of them." Cas cracked a small smile. "Furthermore, Ed would give up anything to protect his brother. It doesn't matter what burden it lays on him, and he didn't care if he had to give up his arm, his body, or even his life. He cares for his younger brother that much.

"And then there's Al. He tends to keep his head a bit more and isn't as gruff when showing affection. He cares for Ed as well and makes the journey not for himself, but to try to help his older brother. He also reigns his brother in when he might go too far, since Ed cares so much for others that he gets enraged when they are wronged." The angel's eyes were lit up as he talked about the characters, and the parallels he was making were so similar it hurt.

Just from how he talked, it was even easier to see how much the Elrics and Winchesters were alike.

"Hmm." Charlie sat back. It never ceased to amaze her how well Cas could pick out comparisons. Though she had a question that related to it. "Do you like it though?"

Castiel gave her an incredulous look. "Yes, I do." He said as if it should be obvious. "It is a wonderful mix of very fast-paced action, enjoyable humor, and touching emotive moments. It really has everything."

"Yeah." The nerd grinned. With a click, she started the next episode.

The two of them were once more drawn into the journey of a pair of brothers that was so similar yet different from the ones they knew.

It seemed like the story was going even further than the original had, and she loved how it was developing. It didn't seem half as depressing as the original was. It seemed like that often happened when the anime needed to come to an end before the manga was done. She shuddered at how many times that had happened in anime she had watched.

She glanced over at Cas and saw the small smile on his face as he continued to watch the adventures of the Elrics, and somehow she couldn't help but connect him to a character from the show as well.

After all, who cared for Ed and Al and fixed them when they broke down? Who knocked some sense into them when they were being particularly angsty? Who always supported them no matter what?

Yeah, Castiel made a pretty good Winry for the boys.

And as she watched the Elric boys and Winry help bring a new life into the world, she couldn't help but think that she wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Two things in one day? I'm on a roll. Still, I love anime and I wanted to do some with Charlie and Castiel watching it. I decided on FMA: Bortherhood, because it's one of my favorite series, and it seemed like a good one to start Cas on. As I just saw a WatchMojo video stating that either FMA series was the best anime to start people in on, I feel like my decision is valid. Plus, I couldn't help but see the parallels between the Elrics and Winchesters and couldn't resist.


	39. What Happens at Cons, Stays at Cons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie tricks the gang into going to a Supernatural con.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The guest who requested that I do a one-shot about the SPN books also mentioned doing a convention. So here it is.

"I trusted you, Charlie." Charlie would never have thought that Dean of all people would be able to give the puppy dog eyes. Sam and Cas had it down pat of course, unintentionally on the angel's part, but never Dean. The look and words he was sending her way now though were pretty close. "I _trusted_ you."

The redhead sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

Castiel inched a bit closer to Dean as he looked around with wide eyes. "What exactly is this?" He appeared like if he still was able to fly, he would have taken off the moment they walked in.

This was not going as Charlie had planned.

Though she could understand the way Cas kept looking suspiciously at the crowds of people around them who wore combinations of trench coats, flannel, and Nerf guns of all types.

It had been a bit of a fluke to start out with. However, when Charlie saw an ad for a _Supernatural_ convention nearby, she hadn't been able to resist. The nerd hadn't wanted to go alone, but she also knew that if either Winchester knew where she wanted to go, they never would.

So she had said that she had just wanted to go to a special movie event.

Of course, the moment they had arrived, her little bit of subterfuge had been all too obvious.

"Why are these people calling each other by our names?" Cas tilted his head at them. "Is this some sort of witch craft?"

Charlie couldn't help the laugh that burst out at that. Only the angel would immediately jump to supernatural reasons for such behavior. "No, I've told you about cosplay before right? That it's like Halloween, but at a nerd convention instead?"

"Yes, but why would these people…" Castiel trailed off as he finally spotted a table that was loaded with a familiar book. "Oh. The Winchester Gospels. Of course."

"As if it wasn't bad enough the first time." Dean grumbled. "Just being here gives me the willies."

Castiel continued to frown though. "Why do a majority of these people appear to be young women and teenage girls?"

Both Sam and Dean looked uncomfortable as the nerd snickered. "Those are the fans, Cas; those are the fans." She explained.

Cas still looked confused, but she wasn't about to explain why, despite all appearances, the series had a large amount of appeal for a young, female audience.

"Ugh, let's go." Dean looked ready to bolt at any minute.

"I don't know." Sam muttered, looking around. "I mean, all of this effort, just for us…" He trailed off as he caught Dean's squinting look.

"You had the same sort of reaction to the musical, too." The older Winchester said. "Do you… actually like this?" He asked, giving his brother a betrayed look.

Personally, Charlie was just glad to be out of the line of fire.

"What, no! I don't like it!" Sam quickly said defensively. "It's just… it's nice to see that there are some people who appreciate our story so much and really put in effort to trying to understand it."

"Understand it?!" Dean was practically yelling. He failed to notice that the pair was attracting attention. Some people were gathering around them and getting out their phones to tape the interaction, thinking that it was just two more fans who were LARPing.

"C'mon. Let's go check out some of the other stuff." Charlie whispered, and she gently tugged on the angel's coat sleeve to draw him away.

"But…" Castiel glanced back at the pair who were arguing in earnest now.

"They're grown men. They'll be fine." Cas turned to her with a raised eyebrow, as they distantly heard Dean calling Sam, "a princess who's too delicate for a real meal." "Okay, so they're mostly adults and trained hunters. They can handle some fangirls."

Castiel still looked dubious, but he followed her anyway.

* * *

It was while they were in the Dealer's room that she lost track of Castiel.

Charlie suddenly experienced that, "OMG! I've lost my baby in the supermarket!" feeling, and for a moment, she felt bad. After all, Cas was an angel, and he was capable of taking care of himself.

But he also had a bad habit of getting captured and tortured, having to break himself out of said torture, and then crawling back to the Winchesters with severe injuries.

She didn't know why but given that this was his first convention ever, it made her even more worried.

Charlie was surprised where she found him.

He was standing at a booth where the person had a bunch of plushies. As she walked up, she could see him holding two of them in his hands, and he seemed to be surprised as he looked down at them.

"Ah! There you are!" The redhead called out as she walked up.

Cas looked up for a moment. "Hello, Charlie." He then looked back down at the plushies he was holding.

"What've you got there?" She asked, as the woman running the booth let out a chuckle. She blinked in surprise.

Normally, at any convention really, it was an opportunity for all nerds to come out and actually socialize with others. Therefore, even if a con did have a main theme, there were usually things that appealed to multiple fandoms. For example, this booth had plushies of everything from superheroes to Pokémon. She recognized most of them actually. And she recognized the ones in Castiel's grip as well.

It was undoubtedly Dean and Sam.

Charlie couldn't help but be surprised at how accurate the dealer's work was. Even though she had read the books, if the nerd hadn't known what the two of them had looked like before hand, she knows she would have gotten some stuff wrong. She had done it with Cas after all. He was a lot like she had imagined him, but he was taller than she had expected.

The Dean doll wore a green button down over a black t-shirt and jeans, and embroidered on was the so-called Samulet. His hair was that sandy color between blonde and brown and his green-button eyes stood out. The Sam doll had the longish brown hair, and a plaid shirt and jeans. She could almost imagine puppy eyes being made with those brown button eyes.

"Wow, these are really good." Charlie said out loud.

The vendor chuckled again. "You think?" She smiled. "Your friend's been staring at those for about five minutes." There was a kind glance over at him. "And despite the cosplay, he doesn't even seem interested in my Castiel doll." She gestured over at it.

Charlie smiled at the doll. It too was really accurate as well, right down to the blue eyes and trench coat. There was just one addition on it that she had never really seen, and that was the black wings that were sown onto to the back.

She turned to see Cas still staring. "Hey, you can buy those, you know." She nudged him.

Cas frowned as he looked up, and he appeared to be searching around for something.

Charlie could guess. "If we see him, we'll tell him they're mine. Don't let him affect your decision." She could just see Dean either yelling from embarrassment at Cas buying dolls of them, or making Cas feel bad for just buying something here.

Castiel debated it for a moment, but Charlie smiled as he pulled out his wallet.

As Cas walked away with the dolls in his pocket, Charlie quickly bought the Cas doll as well. She didn't want the trio to be too far apart.

Then, she quickly caught up to the angel.

"Let's go visit some panels." She told him, dragging him along.

* * *

"That was very enlightening." Castiel commented as they walked out of their third panel.

"Yeah, I know right. Those were some really good ideas." Charlie nodded in agreement.

"Oh, thank God. There you are." Dean popped out of nowhere. Sam was behind him, munching on some of the "Trickster Candy" that had been in the dealer's room. "Now, we can blow this joint."

"Why?" Cas blinked at him. "I have found this event to be rather enjoyable."

"Yeah, but…" Dean trailed off as squinted at something.

The other three followed his gaze to see someone cosplaying as Dean and someone cosplaying as Castiel sharing an enthusiastic kiss on the lips. It was only as the two drew away from each other that the group turned around.

"Maybe you're right." Sam said faintly.

"Of course, I'm right." Dean snorted heading for the exit.

"Jeez, it was just a kiss." Charlie rolled her eyes. "Besides, what happens at cons, stays at cons."

"Thank God or whoever for that." Dean muttered.

However, Charlie had noticed that Cas had that contemplative look on his face. It always signaled an awkward question, and she almost couldn't wait to see what it would be about after that display.

It wasn't the question she was expecting.

"Dean, why don't you and Sam employ the use of hula hoops filled with salt? It seems like a much more efficient way to set up circles to ward off ghosts." Castiel asked.

Dean aggravated moan was totally worth it though.

Dear God, she loved cons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ah, the holidays... When I actually have time to sit down and write stuff. Just some fun from conventions. I'll admit that the only conventions I've gone to is the anime convention my anime club puts on each year. However, I noticed that basically it's a time for all nerds to come out and play. I myself cosplayed as Fem!Castiel at the one last school year. I got lots of compliments and I was only mistaken for the Doctor once. They're a lot of fun!


	40. God Bless Us, Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie shows Cas her favorite version of A Christmas Carol. He finds the puppets playing the characters a bit confusing at first but he finds he likes.

"So, what are these beings called again?" Cas asked as he walked over to join Charlie on the couch after she finished putting in the DVD.

"Muppets." Charlie replied, snuggling into that blankets and gratefully taking the hot chocolate Cas was offering. It was barely December, but it was still that chilly Midwest weather knocking at the door. The Bunker didn't really help as it was so large that the heating wasn't as effective as it could be.

She took a sip of the warm beverage. "Don't worry, you'll love them. I should show you the classic show and movies, since they seem like your cup of tea. The new show and recent movies are good too."

"I shall take your word for it." Cas said, as he too seemed to wrap the blanket around himself tighter. Technically, as an angel, Charlie knew that Castiel shouldn't be effected by changes in temperature. His refusal to take off his trench coat in 90-degree weather clearly showed that. Still, he seemed to like doing it more as a comfort, which she could totally understand.

"Of course, you can. I always give good advice." Charlie said, going to the play option as the main menu popped up.

She could feel more than see the look Castiel was giving her. "What about that time that – "

"Shh. The movie's starting." The redhead placed a finger on his lips without looking at him, easily cutting him off. Cas accepted it and settled in to watch it.

Of course, he had some questions from the get-go.

"To my understanding, Charles Dickens was human and an author in the late 19th century." Cas frowned at the television.

"Gonzo's just playing him as he's the narrator. Just go with it." Charlie shrugged.

So the angel did. Every once in a while, his lips would curl into a smile at the music, or he would tilt his head at some of the Muppets' comedy.

Charlie was pretty sure that he already knew the basic story. If Metatron had never read _A Christmas Carol_ , then she would certainly be surprised. However, despite the quirks of the Muppet cast, she felt that this was actually one of the best renditions of the original story. Plus, it was friendly for kids.

Therefore, Cas didn't bat an eye as the ghosts appeared on the scene. He only had one thing to say since his first comment after their appearance. "That was… abrupt." He said as Belle quickly left after breaking up with Scrooge.

"Yeah, there was a song there, but they cut it out when they made the DVD version of the movie." Charlie explained. "I didn't really like the song in the first place, because it really dragged and everything, but I do think they should have kept some of it, especially since there's a reprise of it."

"I see." With that, Cas remained silence throughout the movie, though the nerd continued to note his reactions to things. The Ghost of Christmas Present and his song made the angel smile, but she was surprised at the angel not even appearing disturbed as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come made his appearance.

Charlie shuddered as he entered the story. He had always given her the creeps. When she first read about dementors in Harry Potter, she actually imagined them being like him: tall, foreboding, dark, and cloaked, with a presence that just seemed to suck the life out of everything.

Cas looked upset as Tiny Tim's fate in that terrible future was revealed. The contrast of how the family acted was just so great that it even caught Charlie off guard every single time and strangled her heart. The nerd had to admit that the conversation regarding how he was gone, followed by the image of his empty seat and ownerless cane, was a powerful one.

Who would have thought when the Muppets started that puppets of all things would be able to portray such emotion and draw it out of others? It was one of the amazing things about the group.

Finally, Castiel smiled once more at the movie's finale. It really was a heart-warming ending.

"So, what'd you think?" Charlie asked eagerly as the credits rolled.

Cas smiled. "I enjoyed it. The Muppets' antics were amusing and they stayed very true to both the story and its spirit."

"I know!" The redhead couldn't hold back a small squee. "There are dozens of versions and interpretations of this, but I have always liked this best since I first saw it."

Cas nodded. "I also liked the final song. Scrooge finally found a home where there was love." There was almost something wistful in his voice.

Charlie blinked at that, not quite expecting it. Then, the answer came to her.

She could admit that she didn't know much about how angels interacted when it was just them up in Heaven. She knew that Heaven was mostly the paradises of the souls up there who were with their soul mates, but surely there were some areas that were the secret backstage for angels only, like the employee only areas of a theater or amusement park. She didn't know what their "family" life was like.

What the nerd did know was that Castiel was different though from most of his siblings. From his first appearance, he was the only one to show a spark of individuality with his trench coat and ruffled look. He was someone who truly wanted the love, affection, and support that came from a real family.

Something that he never seemed to really get from his angelic family.

"Found family, huh?" Charlie said, as she laced her arm through his and cuddled up closer. "I can understand that."

After all, she had been searching for a family since that fateful night her own family came crashing down.

Castiel looked at her with wise, old eyes. He gently smiled at her. "Yes, indeed."

And the two of them just sat there with the family and love they had found as Cas changed the channel to see what else was on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: A Muppet Christmas Carol is probably my favorite Christmas movie. I love the music, I love the acting (except Belle), and I love the overall portrayal of the story. I don't know if this is the first Christmas Carol I ever saw, or if I saw the Mickey Mouse one first, but it's the first one I remember. I also like how closely it sticks to the original story, but brings in lighter, comedic moments. Anyway, I'm going to try to get some more Christmasy stories in, and this is the first as it's December 1st.


	41. Always Listen to Charlie (When It Comes to Nerd Stuff)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas finds a copy of the Percy Jackson movie. Despite Charlie's advice, he watches it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by DemigodPrefect.

Castiel flipped through the lore book one more time. He had been dubious that he would find something that would hold Sam's interest, as well as be something the hunter had not already possessed, in a normal chain bookstore, but he had been pleasantly surprised. This book was something that was not yet in the Men of Letters' collection, and his brief browse seemed to indicate that it was fairly accurate.

He slid the book into his shopping basket next to the volumes of comics he was getting for Charlie. Despite how long he had lived, Castiel had never celebrated Christmas before. However, Dean had declared that they were going to do it properly this year, with gifts, food, and decorations.

With the holiday still a few weeks away, Cas had decided to do his shopping early. After all, they had all agreed to continue taking cases up until a few days before, and there were still issues with the Darkness, Amara, to be dealt with.

Cas frowned as he drifted around the bookstore. Dean was hiding something from him and the others, and he didn't like it. He hoped the hunter would come clean soon.

Looking into his basket once more, the angel did another quick check. He had found things for Charlie, Sam, and Claire. After much debate, and some consultation with a sales clerk, he had decided to get the teenager some _Full Metal Alchemist_ manga, as he had found himself enjoying the show and it seemed to hold appeal for her age group, and a book on general lore that might prevent her from rushing into something dangerous.

Dean hadn't been the only one to notice that she had kept the Grigori's sword after all.

Now, he only had to find something for Dean. Castiel headed for the movie section, figuring he would pick out a box set of one of the television shows Dean seemed fond of. Given his fondness of superheroes, he wondered if the hunter would enjoy _The Flash_ or _Arrow_ , since he had heard they were good despite never seeing them.

His choices made, he quickly moved to join the long line snaking away from the registers. Something caught his eye as he passed a display though.

Turning, Castiel read the movie that had taken his notice. The title read _Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief_.

He smiled a bit. At Charlie's recommendation, Cas had read all of the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books. He had also read Rick Riordan's series about the Egyptian gods and his new book about the Norse ones. The angel had thoroughly enjoyed all of them and he personally couldn't wait to see what the author came out with next.

Even the man's takes on the legends and myths in his volumes of Greek gods and heroes were funny yet a fair representation.

On a whim, the angel picked up the movie and placed it in his basket. After he hid the gifts, he would then have a valid excuse as to why he had been in a bookstore. He could just say that he had seen this and had decided he would get it (which wasn't a lie and would allow him to hide the fact that he had bought Christmas gifts already).

It didn't take long to get back to the Bunker, and Castiel quickly squirreled the gifts away in various spots in his room. With that done, he picked up the new movie and went to find Charlie.

The redhead was seated in the living room, listlessly flipping through a book and obviously bored. Even with his, her, and Sam's enthusiasm for research, it did not take long for them to grow weary of having to go through the same things over and over again.

After all, they still had not found anything new regarding the Darkness, and Cas was sure that he had extracted all the information he could from Metatron.

"Charlie?" She looked up at him as he called her name. "I found a movie version of _The Lightning Thief_. Shall we watch it together?" The angel held up the movie as he spoke in order to show her.

Her reaction was not what he was expecting.

Charlie startled and practically flinched away from the movie box. She glared at it, a large amount of dislike and distrust in her eyes. And was she hissing at it?

Castiel blinked in surprise. "Charlie?"

She blinked, coming back to herself. Then she took a deep breath. "Where did you get that?"

"At the mall."

"I see." Charlie didn't look happy.

"Have I done something wrong?" Cas lowered the movie and tilted his head in confusion. He couldn't think of having done anything monumentally bad lately.

"No." Charlie said quickly, recovering. "It's not you. It's just – that." She waved dismissively at the movie, a look of disgust on her face.

"This?" He looked down at it, but could see no reason for her ire. "But the books are good."

Charlie sighed. "We've gone over that just because the books are good, it doesn't mean the movie is." She made to stand. "C'mon. Let's watch something that's worth our time."

"I want to watch it." Castiel didn't know why he was being stubborn. He knew that Charlie meant well, but he had already bought it, so it seemed a waste not to watch it at least once.

The nerd studied his face for a moment. "Fine." She acquiesced, sitting back down. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

The two of them settled down to watch the movie, and as it continued playing…

Well, there were really no words that the angel could say. He watched, his horror and dismay growing, as what he was watching was barely a shadow of the excellent book he loved.

Cas sat there in shock as the final credits rolled, and though Charlie was throwing him a sympathetic look, she didn't come over.

"I don't understand." He finally said, turning to her. "Why… How…"

"How can they take something wonderful and turn it into complete crap?" Charlie finished for him. At his nod, she continued. "That's the power of Hollywood. Sometimes they just don't give things the love and care they deserve. And totally destroy it in the process."

Then, she moved to the DVD player and replaced that terrible movie with another.

"Here, this will help get rid of the stink." Charlie said, and Cas relaxed as he saw the menu for the first Harry Potter movie pop up.

And he made a unanimous decision to always listen to Charlie when it came to pop culture items.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Not really Christmasy, except for at the beginning. But I've had the request for the Percy Jackson books/movies for a while, and since I mentioned him reading the books in a previous story, I needed a valid reason as to why they would watch the movie. I also mention the Percy Jackson in my story "The New Dynamic Duo" which goes along with this series (and is actually how it starts), where Charlie mentioned that as far as she's concerned, the books are all that exist. Ah, Cas, my poor naive baby angel in a trench coat. He means well. Still, I'm working on a couple other one-shots in addition to my current multi-chapter story, so just hang on.


	42. The Island of Misfits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas can't help but identify with Rudolph.

Charlie smiled and took a step back to view her handy-work.

The Winchesters and herself had been surprised when Castiel had shown up at the door of the Bunker toting a large pine tree over his shoulder. At their incredulous looks, his only response was, "It's customary to decorate a coniferous tree at this time of the year, is that not correct?"

Of course, that snapped them out of it, and they quickly welcomed him in.

The angel had also apparently visited Walmart or something, as he had quite a few ornaments in his car. They weren't those generic "100 in a container" kind either that you could buy for, like, 5 bucks.

No. There were Mickey Mouse & co., various other Disney franchises, Grinch ones, Santa ones, snowmen, reindeer, snowflakes, gingerbread people, wind chimes and bells, various animals, and even a moose one that he had proudly presented to Sam. In short, he'd gotten fun ornaments.

He'd also bought lights and a star for the top of the tree.

"The angelic tops made me somewhat uncomfortable." Cas had admitted when Dean had jokingly asked why he hadn't gotten one of his brothers or sisters for the top.

Given he was once more on the outs with his family, Charlie couldn't blame him.

Still, the end product was really quite nice. The colored lights were no longer blinking after Dean's long war with them and they lit up the tree nicely and brought attention to the various ornaments on the tree.

The redhead couldn't hold back a snicker at how into it the Winchesters had gotten. Dean had even tried to make a garland out of popcorn. Wandering hands had soon put a stop to that as both Winchesters and Castiel had ended up eating the popcorn.

Charlie had laughed it off as she remembered doing that with her own family. Thinking of it now, she sobered a bit as she turned to look at the couch where Sam was explaining what the Christmas classics (that _had_ to be watched) were and where they came from. It looked like the younger brother was slipping a disk into the player, but she couldn't tell which one.

She couldn't remember the last time she had decorated a tree and had fun like this in preparation for the holidays, but she figured it had been longer for the Winchesters. Or, it had been a long time since they had celebrated it under good circumstances as she recalled the _Supernatural_ book where they'd been taken captive by pagan gods and had to kill them with the Christmas tree.

Probably not a cheery memory, especially as Dean's deal had been looming on the horizon.

And this was Castiel's first time celebrating the holiday the human way, if the angels celebrated it all.

Once more, even given how busy the three would get, she couldn't believe the Winchesters had never tried to introduce him to some of the fun things that came with humans. And sex and alcohol didn't count.

"Ah, Rudolph." She jumped a bit as she hadn't heard Dean come up behind her. Charlie turned to see the hunter sipping on a cup of coffee, his eyes never straying from the pair in front of the screen. "Not sure that's the greatest choice." He muttered, mostly to himself.

Charlie blinked. "Why would you say that?" She turned to start putting the boxes and things that had held the ornaments and lights away.

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a question drifting over from the couch.

"I don't understand." Castiel said, looking between the TV and Sam. "Why are they rejecting him?"

"Well, his nose glows." Sam said, as if it should be obvious.

Cas stared at him. "I don't…" His brow furrowed and he looked back at the television set. "That doesn't seem to be a valid reason for rejecting him. Being different does not justify such behavior especially as Rudolph just proved that he is as good as the others when it comes to flying."

Now Sam looked uncomfortable, and Charlie couldn't blame him. Despite the beloved classic movie, it was kind of harsh on Rudolph. It's not like it was only his peers who treated him that way too; Santa, his father, and the other adults also treated the red-nosed reindeer like he was some sort of freak.

Cas, on the other hand, just looked a bit sad as he returned his full attention back to the movie.

"And that's exactly why." Dean hummed, a bit as he took a sip of coffee. Again, Charlie glanced at him in confusion, but then she followed his gaze. He wasn't looking at the movie; he was looking at the angel. "Too much heart, huh?"

Charlie blinked. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Dean started a bit as if he hadn't realized she was there, and she couldn't help but wonder if the hunter had gotten into that zone where he and Cas would just stare at each other until someone awkwardly cleared their throat. "Huh?" He looked over at her.

"You mumbled something about two much heart, and it apparently has something to do with Rudolph?" Charlie raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms so the Winchester knew he wasn't getting out of this.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck subconsciously. "It's something this angel we met once said about Cas. 'Too much heart was always Castiel's problem.' And from some of the stuff Cas was saying when he got shot and tortured, that hadn't been the first time Naomi had 'fixed' him." His eyes flicked between Cas and the TV.

Charlie stared at him for a second, trying to figure out how this connected back to Rudolph. Then it hit her. "In other words, he's always been different from the other angels." She studied the angel as well. "Just like Rudolph has always been different from the other reindeer."

"Yeah, and with all that's going with Heaven and everything." Dean winced. "Yeah, not a good choice."

Charlie's expression darkened. The angels had tortured Cas, said he wasn't welcome, and on top of all that, had made sure that he knew that he was apparently hated. Personally, the redhead wanted to strangle every last angel for making Castiel feel like crap. He acted normal most of the time, but when he thought none of them were looking, she would see this look of indescribable sadness cross his face.

So yeah, a story about a reindeer who was rejected by his peers wasn't really the best thing for Cas to be watching, especially as he was clearly identifying with the poor reindeer.

"Yeah, but Rudolph wasn't alone in being a weirdo." Charlie said, before she turned towards the kitchen.

It didn't take her long to make the treat, and she returned just in time to see Rudolph and his friends arrive at the Island of Misfit Toys. Her lips curled up in a smile at how appropriate that was. It widened as she saw that Dean had joined the two on the couch as well.

"Hey, Cas," the angel looked up as she approached, "here, I don't think you've tried this before. It's a traditional winter drink."

Cas frowned but he still took the mug she handed him. He studied it for a moment before taking a sip. His eyes widened. "This is good." He said before taking a larger sip. "What is it?"

"Hot chocolate." Charlie grinned and then she passed out the other mugs, as she had made sure to make enough for all of them. She was glad that she had thought to grab the mix the last time she'd dropped by the store.

With that done, she settled on the couch so she laid across all three boys. She ignored the Winchesters grumbles to look over at Castiel. "Well, Cas," he lifted his eyes from where he was still sipping his hot chocolate. Charlie smiled, "Welcome to the Island of Misfits." The redhead gestured to include the boys in her statement.

Cas blinked, and then his eyes flickered between all three of them.

And he smiled.

Mission complete, Charlie turned back to the movie and found herself being drawn in just like she was every year. She sensed more that saw Cas, Dean, and Sam do the same.

The holidays didn't get any better than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Gah! The revelations from Misha this weekend! I was going to do Rudolph anyway, but it was the perfect time to try to comfort Cas as well. Castiel is important and loved, and it just breaks my heart that he doesn't think he's loved at all. I know a lot of the blame lies on the angels, but I'm also mad at the Winchesters too, since they're supposed to be family and care for him, but they keep getting mad at him for not doing exactly as they want (i.e. kill Metatron while he was being manipulated and has PTSD [though they probably haven't noticed the PTSD as they're wrapped up in bigger problems like usual]). I just want to give Cas lots of hugs. I mean, I figured that he'd make this upcoming bad decision due to his PTSD, lack of self-worth, and incessant need to save Dean, but when you throw in that he doesn't think anyone loves him I want to cry.


	43. Christmas Time is Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel wonders if anyone remembers the real purpose of Christmas with all of the focus on Santa and presents. Charlie (Bradbury and Brown) have his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request from DemigodPrefect, though I was planning on paying a visit to everyone's favorite Christmas cartoon anyway. Thanks!

Castiel knew that he wasn't really an expert on humanity. Sometimes he felt that he and his brethren had made a tactical error when they had decided to pay only minimal attention to humans after the death of the Christ child.

Sure, he himself had paid attention more than others, but even he found himself often becoming confused at the modern times.

This, however, seemed to be a bit of a paradox.

"Charlie?" He began to ask, looking over at the redhead as she frowned at the graphic t-shirt she was holding up.

When Charlie had asked him to assist with her Christmas shopping for the Winchesters, he hadn't been able to tell her no. He did manage to avoid telling her what he had gotten them for "ideas" as she had obviously been trying to fish for what he had gotten her.

He was a bit proud of that.

"Yeah?" Charlie was a bit distracted as she put down the Indiana Jones shirt and instead picked up a Darth Vader one.

"The point of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ, correct?" Cas tried to verify.

"Yeah, that's how it is." She agreed, seeming to make her decision for Dean's gift.

"Though it was moved to December rather than when it actually happened so that pagans who converted wouldn't have to give up their winter celebrations, of course." Cas said thoughtfully, remembering when that decision came about.

"Oh, so that's really what happened." Charlie looked over with a small smile, appearing interested in the topic just like she always did when he talked about things that had happened long before she was born.

"Yes." He confirmed. Castiel sent a confused look at his surroundings. "But I'm not sure how all of this relates."

"All of this?" She prodded, glancing at a Game of Thrones t-shirt contemplatively for Sam.

"Well," he began to explain, "there are all of these sales, and people seem to be really intense regarding 'finding the best deal.'"

Charlie paused and looked over at him as he continued to talk. Her brow furrowed as she took him in.

"Then, on TV there are bake offs, light and decoration competitions, and commercials that seem to dominate everything." Castiel said. "I'm just not sure what any of this has to do with Christ, or why this particular holiday seems to get more focus than any others throughout the year or from other religions."

"Ah." Realization bloomed in Charlie's eyes. "You don't get the complete and utter commercialization of Christmas."

"I guess you could put it like that." Castiel said as he put some thought into it. "I do believe that Saint Nicolas did do good works, but people seem to revere his incarnation of Santa Claus more than the Christ child."

"Yeah, you just got to love the man in the red suit." The redhead chuckled a bit as she settled on a gift for Sam. She frowned a bit. "I don't know exactly when it started to become like this, but yeah, it is a bit ridiculous. Sure, things are different around the world, but Christmas is over-the-top especially here in America."

"I suppose." Castiel shared her frown. Maybe this was just one of the things that he'd never get about humans, but then again, humans themselves didn't seem to fully understand it either.

"You know," a thoughtful expression came onto her face, "you're not the only one to worry about this." Charlie's face brightened.

"What is it?" Cas couldn't help but tilt his head a bit in confusion at the sudden change. Plus, that looked like Charlie's plotting face.

She grinned. "Let's go check out and get home. Then I'll show you."

Check out luckily didn't take long, even with the longer lines that came with the impending holiday.

All too soon, the two of them were in the living room after Charlie had hidden her gifts away. "Like I said, you're not the first person who's questioned the commercialization of Christmas. Actually, the best example came out almost exactly 50 years ago." She held up the DVD box. "Cas, I'd like to introduce you to my good friend, Charlie Brown."

Castiel studied the cover for a moment. It showed a cartoon of a boy in a red jacket and brown cap smiling at the viewer next to what seemed to be a pine branch with a scant amount of needles and a single red ornament on it. A dog also stared at the branch. He wondered what it had to do with what Charlie was talking about.

Seeing his expression, Charlie smiled. "You'll see." And without further ado, Charlie placed the DVD into the player.

Like _A Muppet Christmas Carol_ , he thought that the music was really great from the beginning. That was his first thought. The opening song was really good, and it just continued to live up to his expectations as the program went on.

Charlie Brown was a very relatable character. He shared the same concerns that Castiel had expressed earlier. At the same time, he kept at it, trying to understand his own feelings and what he could do about it. Cas could really relate to it.

The other characters were also quite endearing. Snoopy in particular was very entertaining despite never saying a word. Still, there was a timelessness about them all that even though this had apparently been made 50 years ago, it continued to be incredibly relevant.

Castiel actually liked the tree that Charlie Brown chose. Unlike all of the other trees, it actually had some resemblance to a tree. Though he had no clue as to why a Christmas pageant portraying the birth of Christ would need a Christmas tree as it was based off pagan traditions and only became part of Christian traditions as it grew into practice in Germanic nations.

Still, it did look like it could use some love after having been set aside by all others.

A glance at Charlie showed her sending a wistful smile at the television, and he got the feeling that she would have chosen that tree as well.

Cas also liked the way the lights dimmed and focused on Linus as he revealed the true meaning of Christmas, the real story of Christmas. It really placed emphasis on the whole reason the holiday existed, and no Christmas movie he had seen so far did that, even if it did mention God.

It made the message shine out all the brighter.

Castiel smiled as everyone came together and turned that small little tree into a true Christmas tree, tearing down Snoopy's winning decorations from his dog house. Charlie Brown's expression of surprise was well worth it. And the children's choir again did a fabulous job with the final song.

As the credits rolled, Charlie looked over at him like she usually did after they watched anything together, waiting to see his reaction. "Well?" She smiled at him.

"I liked it." He admitted. "I still do not understand why all these things are so important to people, but it's nice to know that there are other people who've wondered the same sort of thing." He paused a bit, frowning thoughtfully. Now that he took a moment to think about it, he realized he had seen the characters before. "Are there more things with Charlie Brown in it? After all, the people from this were at Cedar Point."

Charlie blinked. "Are there – " She grinned, throwing her head back in a laugh. "Ah, man, you have no idea." She said while wiping a tear from her eye.

Cas waited patiently for the nerd to stop laughing.

Finally, the giggles died down. "Charlie Brown is from a comic strip called _Peanuts_." She explained. "And though this was the first one, there are tons of Charlie Brown specials and stuff to watch. So there's plenty to go around."

"I'm glad." Castiel couldn't help but say. After all, Charlie Brown was something that he felt a lot of people could relate to like he did.

"Yeah, actually there was a new movie about him that came out just this year. It's the first one to come out since the original creator died." Charlie looked thoughtful. "I'll have to make sure we see it."

Cas smiled. "I would enjoy that." There was a moment of silence between them. "Can we watch another one?"

With a grin, Charlie pulled out her laptop, and the two of them watched Charlie Brown specials, some having nothing to do with Christmas, until the Winchesters came home and announced that supper was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I had wanted to get this written up and posted by yesterday, but I didn't even have time to write until yesterday. I got it done though. A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas movies, and it's one I'm glad to see every year. I watched the 50th Anniversary special they had for it, and it always surprises me how relevant it still is. Though, if anything, I'd say the commercialization has gotten worse. Anyway, thanks for the prompt DemigodPrefect, and I'll see you next time.


	44. A Bit of an Acquired Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas finds that eggnog and a certain Christmas classic of a boy's quest for Red Ryder BB gun may not be to his tastes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request by cheryl24 for this Christmas classic. I also decided to throw in a classic Christmas drink as well.

Charlie bounced up and down in her seat in excitement. She liked this movie, not that it was her favorite or anything, but Dean obviously loved it and his enthusiasm was infectious.

Dean was grinning like a loon as he loaded the DVD. Cas, on the other hand, looked confused as he read the back of the DVD box.

"I don't understand." He stated. "I thought all of the movies we had been watching were all Christmas stories."

"Yeah, but this is THE _A Christmas Story_!" Dean quickly got back to his seat and lifted the remote to skip all of the previews so they could get to the movie faster.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." The younger Winchester nudged the angel and handed him a glass. "It's just a movie, remember that."

Cas smiled a bit at him, before looking at the white liquid in his glass. "What's this?" He asked, studying the substance.

"Eggnog." Sam's explanation made Charlie's head jerk up. She had tasted Sam's patented eggnog before.

"Don't – " She called out, but it was too late.

Castiel spluttered at the drink that was more alcohol than nog. He ran towards the kitchen, probably in an attempt to find something to relieve the burn. Charlie sent a glare at the snickering Winchesters.

"That's mean."

Of course, neither Winchester looked regretful as they sipped their own glasses of eggnog.

It wasn't too long before Castiel returned, clutching a mug of hot chocolate like it was a lifeline and sending a grumpy glare at the two brothers. Still, he took his place next to Charlie and turned his eyes to the movie playing on the screen. He'd missed the first 5-10 minutes of the movie, but it didn't take him long to pick up the general plot.

"He wants a gun for Christmas?" Cas blinked, slightly incredulous.

"BB gun, not an actual gun." Dean corrected, his eyes riveted to the screen.

"Still, why would a child – " Cas cut off his question with a quick glance at the brothers, but Charlie could guess his question.

_Why would a child want a gun? And what sort of parent would give it to him?_

Not exactly the thing you could ask two guys whose father had made sure they had guns when they were younger than Ralphie.

She could understand the reason why he almost asked it though.

"It's just a toy version of a gun." Charlie explained.

"The danger of shooting his eye out is still a possibility though, correct?" The angel still asked, sending a worried frown at the movie.

"Just watch, Cas." Dean grumbled, obviously not happy that the angel was nitpicking one of his favorite Christmas movies.

Cas sent Charlie a bemused look, but she tried to send him a reassuring look in return.

The movie continued, and all those old jokes caused Charlie and the Winchesters to roar with laughter. The Old Man battling with the furnace, Flick getting his tongue stuck to the pole, the famous "major award" that the Old Man won, Ralphie's imaginings, the infamous "fudge" moment…

And all that was really just in the first half of the movie.

However, every time Charlie looked over at Castiel to gauge his reaction, all she could see was a confused head tilt or a furrowed brow as he took it all in.

It occurred to Charlie that some of the things in the movie were really only understandable if you had been a kid in more modern times. After all, if Cas didn't get most things about what being a human adult was like (though he had a better understanding since he had actually been human from what she could tell), then there was no way that he could understand what being a human child was like.

And of course, the Winchesters kept drinking so as the movie went on, the more and more giggly they became. It was kinda annoying, even if she loved seeing them so light-hearted.

Though she couldn't help but laugh a bit at how disturbed Castiel looked at this movie's portrayal of Santa. Those camera angles were just great in making a creepy aura surrounding the man.

So they all continued to watch, and the most favorable reaction Charlie saw from Cas was when his lips curled up a bit when Ralphie almost _did_ shoot his eye out.

The redhead had to admit that she also enjoyed the kid getting his comeuppance.

The movie wound down as the family ended up having their Christmas at a Chinese restaurant and Ralphie fell asleep with his trusty gun at his side.

The Winchesters had fallen asleep in a drunken haze right around the time that the dogs had eaten the turkey, so it was only Cas and Charlie who sat together on the couch.

"So what did you think?" Charlie asked.

Cas gave her a bit of a grimace. "While very interesting, especially into the perspective of a child at this particular time of the year, I didn't…" He trailed off with a glance at Dean, and Charlie just knew that he didn't want to insult a movie that the hunter clearly enjoyed.

"It's okay." The nerd was quick assure him. "This movie…" She tried to put it into words. "Well, I know that it doesn't show the most flattering view of Christmas or people. Ralphie's a bit of a brat, he's kinda greedy, and I could go on and on about his family. But," she continued, "it's a satire, and it's supposed to focus on the worst part of the holiday. That's what makes it funny. A lot of people like it, some people don't. It's okay either way."

Cas still looked uncertain, so Charlie decided to step up her game.

"Think of it like the eggnog." She suppressed a giggle at the scowl that crossed Cas's face at the mention of the beverage. "Ultimately, _A Christmas Story_ is an acquired taste. So don't feel bad just because it's not your cup of tea."

Cas smiled a bit, her efforts finally paying off.

Neither felt like watching anything else as it was getting late, so the two of them wrapped blankets around the slumbering Winchesters and Charlie went to bed. As she left the room, she saw Cas picking up what was left of the eggnog and heading towards the bathroom.

Somehow, she got a feeling that the Winchesters were also going to be getting their own comeuppance in the morning when the angel would decide not to heal their hangovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'll admit that I do not like the movie A Christmas Story. It's my least favorite Christmas movie, but I got the request so I tried to do it justice. Everyone who enjoys the movie in this (Charlie and the Winchesters), I've based their reactions off of my dad and sister who love the movie. Of course, when I point out its flaws (which is what I don't like about it), they always tell me, "It's a satire. It's supposed to be that way." Yeah, well, it's not my cup of tea. I also have never really wanted to even try alcohol, but the Winchesters seem to like it and it fit with the theme of acquired tastes in the holiday season, so I threw that in too.


	45. The Mistletoe Mishap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie makes a deal with Rowena to cause some holiday mischief. It's a mistake.

Charlie slid into her seat, trying to be discrete like in those old spy movies. She had a mission to complete and nothing was going to stop her.

Another woman slid into the seat across from her, her red hair tumbling past her shoulders. She gave Charlie an evaluating look. Charlie hated to go to her, but the witch was the only one who could help in this situation.

"Do you have the goods?" Charlie asked in a normal tone as to not attract any attention. Two redheads whispering over a table was sure to do that.

Rowena's eyes flicked up and down, taking her in. "I do." She replied. "Do you have what you promised me?" She asked sweetly.

Charlie wasn't fooled though. Rowena was a master manipulator after all. "I do, but I'm not showing you until I've got proof. You're not getting paid until the job is done."

"Don't trust me, lass?" Rowena's eyebrow quirked in frustration.

"Have you ever given me a reason to?"

"Fair enough point." Rowena sighed, and she pulled out a clear container from her purse.

Within it, there was a single sprig of mistletoe.

"The spell cast upon it will not release people who walked under it until they kiss. The kiss, and it has to be on the lips, essentially breaks the spell. Be careful not to get caught under it." Rowena explained, and Charlie grinned, because this was perfect for her plans. She had learned from what was called The Closet Incident.

Then Charlie remembered who she was talking to and narrowed her eyes at the witch. "No other side effects, right? You walk under it with someone else, you're trapped until the two kiss, nothing else?"

Rowena blinked at her. "Nothing else happens than what I said. What on Earth could possibly happen in addition?"

"I don't know, but it seems like a lot of people die from your spells." Charlie couldn't help but point out.

"It's not my fault they can't withstand my overwhelming magical power." Rowena crossed her arms and looked off petulantly.

"Anyway, good work." Charlie nodded as she slid the mistletoe into her purse. With a flourish, she pulled out a set of photos in return. "Here you go." She said as she handed them to Rowena.

The witch's eyes lit up as she grabbed the photos. As she flipped through them, she let out a delighted giggle. "Ah, poor Fergus. How did you come up with such things?"

The photos were of different things that Charlie, and later Gabriel, had done to the King of Hell while he was trapped in a devil's trap. This included having him with various funny hats or headbands on (which she'd been able to get on him in the moment of confusion that comes from being summoned) or having him be the victim of various pranks as things would get dumped on him and ruin his suit.

The most recent one was what Charlie had declared to be their Christmas card, with all of Team Free Will plus Charlie wearing Santa Hats while Crowley was stuck in reindeer antlers and glowing nose within the devil's trap.

The demon looked particularly put out in that one.

"All you have to do is summon him right into the Devil's trap." Charlie told her. "It should be a breeze for you."

"Hmm. Perhaps you're right." Rowena put the photos into her purse. "Tomorrow we will be enemies once more." She said as she slid out of her seat.

"Fine by me." Charlie rolled her eyes.

Rowena paused as she passed the nerd. "Are you sure you're not interested in learning magic?"

Charlie's glare answered for her, and the witch left with a shrug.

Still, in her seat, she touched the enchanted sprig in her purse and couldn't help the grin that broke out on her face.

This was going to be good.

* * *

So despite the previous incidences and Sam's words, Charlie was still on for getting the Destiel train fully going. And what better time than Christmas? It was the time of miracles and happiness! If it was going to happen, it was the perfect time.

However, it was getting harder to get Dean to let his guard down about this sort of thing. His wall of denial was fully up, and no amount of holiday cheer or eggnog would get him to admit how he totally felt. Drastic measures were needed.

That's the only reason why she went to Rowena. She had already searched through the Men of Letters archives to no avail to find what she needed. And boy, was this little sprig of mistletoe _needed_.

Even more than anything else, if she could get Dean and Cas to admit their feelings to each other and convince them to start going out, it would be better than any gift she could buy them. Not much would change, after all they still had hunting and saving people to do, but they'd at least be happier doing it.

So the redhead set up her Mistletoe Trap. Carefully, she hung the mistletoe at the top of the door to the living room after making sure that Cas and Dean were in the other room. Then, they just needed to fall for the bait.

"Cas! Dean!" Charlie tried to imbue some panic into her voice. "I think something's wrong with the tree!"

Within moments, the pounding of footsteps hurried towards the living room. However, there was a slight miscalculation that Charlie hadn't account for which she quickly became aware of.

There were three sets of steps coming her way.

Her eyes widened. "Wait, Sam! Don't-"

Too late.

All three of them, Sam, Dean, and Castiel, came to an abrupt halt as they attempted cross the threshold. They looked stunned for a moment as their feet wouldn't let them go forward or backward, and only let them shuffle from side to side around each other.

"What the hell?" Looking around, Dean tried to find the source of the obviously supernatural impairment. Then, he leveled a glare at Charlie, the obvious culprit. "What did you do? What's going on?"

Charlie bit her lip, suddenly _really_ not wanting to explain. She really should have specified to Rowena that it would only trap two people at a time.

Luckily, or not so luckily, Sam quickly found the cause. "Uh…" His voice trailed off as he looked above their heads. "Is that mistletoe?"

Dean's head jerked up and he stared, flabbergasted, at the tiny sprig above their heads. "You have got to be kidding me." He muttered.

Cas looked up at a more sedate pace. He squinted at the plant. "Mistletoe, coming from Scandinavian traditions that hailed it as a plant of peace, requiring warring armies who met under it to draw a truce for 24 hours or fighting spouses to kiss and make-up. Druids also put it up as it was believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. There are also connections to Saturnalia, the pagan holiday which was changed to Christmas, and various marriage rites." He looked over at Dean standing next to him. "Why is it here?"

"You don't know?" Dean turned his gaze from the plant to the angel.

Cas blinked. "Know what?"

Charlie finally spoke up. "Well, around Christmas, if two people get caught under the mistletoe, they are supposed to kiss. This one's a bit special though…" She gave a nervous laugh.

Dean glared at her. "Am I to understand that you brought a _cursed_ piece of mistletoe in here?" There was a layer of anger underneath his attempt to have a calm voice.

"Well," the nerd's eyes darted around nervously, "I didn't realize that it could catch more than two people at a time."

"So you meant for Dean and I to be trapped under here?" Castiel's brow furrowed as he looked at her. "For what purpose?"

"Let me guess." Sam wearily sighed, having figured out her plan. "We can't get out from under here until we kiss."

"On the lips." Charlie specified.

"What?" Dean's face exploded into a red color that matched Santa's suit. "You expect me to kiss my brother?!" His disgusted expression immediately made it clear what his feelings on that were.

"I didn't intend for Sam to get trapped with you!" Charlie defended.

Sam sighed again. "This is pointless." His face screwing up a bit as he gathered his courage, he quickly gave first Dean and then Cas a peck on the lips. Then, he stepped out into the corridor. "I'm going to get a cursed object box to put that in." He wiped his lips with a disgusted expression. "And some Listerine."

He left the other two standing under the mistletoe slightly stunned. Dean was the first to snap out of it as he spluttered and spit, trying to erase the fact he had kissed his brother. "Dear God, I'm going to Hell. That was so wrong." He moaned.

Castiel just blinked. However, he didn't seem to really care about what had just transpired. Instead, he tried to step out from under the mistletoe, and frowned when he couldn't.

Despite the slight mishap, Charlie felt a bit of relief. Her plan was back in action with the two players that she had been trying to get under there all along.

"You two have to kiss now, or else you won't be able to get out even when Sam gets back." Charlie pointed out, not all that intimidated by Dean's glare.

"I don't understand what the issue is." Castiel admitted, looking from Charlie to Dean and back. "It used to be that kisses under the mistletoe were not necessarily romantic, but could also convey well wishes between friends and comrades."

"Yeah, it's not olden times though." Dean muttered, a blush rising to his face as he facepalmed.

"No, it's 2015, so two guys should be able to kiss without there being any issues." The redhead crossed her arms.

Dean growled. "Fine. If it's to get out of this, then fine!"

Charlie expected him to just give a quick peck on the lips like Sam had. It wouldn't be much, but it'd be a start and it'd let Dean and Cas see what could be.

To her surprise though, Dean took Castiel's face in his hands and tilted it up to bring his own lips down upon them.

It was like something straight out of a fairy tale.

The kiss lasted several seconds longer than the redhead had anticipated, but Dean suddenly jerked back, as if realizing what he was doing.

"Great, we're free, let's go." Dean babbled as he hightailed it out of there in the direction of the kitchen. Charlie just knew that'd he'd be trying to cement his manliness with a beer or something.

Castiel's eyes blinked open (and Charlie didn't even know when he'd shut them), but he didn't move. He seemed rooted to the spot, just staring at where Dean had been moments ago. Slowly, so very slowly, his hand came up to touch his lips.

"Hey, I got it. I hope you two– Oh, good." Sam said as he walked up and saw that the two had done the deed. He used a pair of tongs to grab the sprig of mistletoe and drop it in the box. It was then he noticed that Cas hadn't moved.

"Uh, are you okay?" He gave the angel a worried look.

His words seemed to snap Castiel out of his trance. To Charlie's great surprise, he turned bright red as he brought his hand down. "I am required elsewhere." He stiffly said as he practically fled from the room, obviously embarrassed.

Charlie had an idea she would find him in his room with his face buried in his pillow like a teenage girl.

Sam looked after him and then at Charlie. "What just happened?" He really did look like a moose when he was confused.

Charlie laughed, and she felt her heart lightening. "Let's just say that the Destiel train is right on track." She patted his arm as she bounced out of the room.

"Hey, we're still going to talk about what you did!" Sam called after her, but nothing was going to get her down.

It really was the most wonderful time of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Yay! I managed to get another chapter in before the wedding stuff really got going. It's a bit longer, but I hope you all like it. Just to make it clear, I give NO support to Wincest (as someone with siblings, I find the idea of siblings kissing utterly gross); the brothers kissing was for comedic reasons only and for them to show their disgust for it. Originally, I just going to have Dean and Cas trapped under it but I thought it would be funnier if things went wrong. In any case, as I'm probably going to be seeing a lot of people kissing this weekend, especially my sister, I decided to go with a mistletoe fic. Anyway, see you all later.


	46. A New Hope (for the Franchise)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Star Wars movie offers new hope after the prequels.

Castiel, Charlie, Dean, and Sam made their way into their seats, trying to get the best angle to see the screen. They had arrived over an hour early, which had luckily given them the position of being some of the first in line. Therefore, as they sat, they got some really great seats.

Cas had never seen the other three look so excited. He himself was feeling it though he had not been knowledgeable about this particular franchise as long as they had. Also, they still had not allowed him to watch the prequels, so he couldn't fully get why they held such an air of worried anticipation for this to be done well.

The angel looked over them. Charlie wore a t-shirt featuring Princess Leia and her trusty gun, and she was bouncing up and down in her seat. The Winchesters were not as visible in their excitement, but as they tossed theories back and forth on what they might expect from this, it was clear that they were barely keeping up an air of semi-calm.

Castiel then took his gaze across the rapidly filling theater. The movie had only been out for a few days, but people continued to flock to see it. Charlie had said that it had already broken several box office records.

It was amazing to see the variety of people there. Some elderly people were scattered here and there. There were plenty of middle aged people, quite a few who had brought along their children. In fact, there appeared to be a lot of families with members of all ages. Teenagers came in, carrying large stacks of popcorn and pop drinks to last through the movie. Regardless of age or any other differences, they all held the same excitement as his friends with smiles and whispers all around.

People watching would always be one of Cas's favorite hobbies, and he was glad that he was here to observe this.

In what seemed like no time at all, the lights were dimming and a hush fell upon the crowd. The previews played and some last minute people scurried to their seats.

And then the opening sequence began.

STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS

He was reminded, as the movie played, of his first experience of going to the movie. Together as one, they, the audience, laughed at the comedic moments. They gasped at the surprises and twists. They fell quiet at the serious and quiet moments. There were even some smatterings of clapping at some familiar things or moments that were well done.

Castiel had never felt like he was such a part of something bigger than himself than as he watched the latest _Star Wars_ movie.

Considering that angels were supposed to be part of God's great plan and will, that was saying something.

He wasn't even aware of time passing. Yet all too soon, the familiar music played and the credits rolled.

People gathered their things and left the theater, but Cas, Charlie, and the Winchester brothers could only sit there for a moment, watching the names of all who had worked so hard on this movie slip past their eyes.

Cas took a moment to assess how he felt. He had really liked it. From what he had seen, it paid a great deal of homage to the original trilogy, as well as had several parallels, but at the same time, it acted as a passing of the torch to the next generation. Not just to the younger people within the movie, but also to the younger people in the audience.

He looked over at his comrades. They seemed as stunned as he was by what he had just watched, though he could tell that boyish grins were beginning to break out on both Dean and Sam's faces. Charlie's eyes were shining.

"There is hope." Charlie whispered, seeming to sum up the sentiment of the brothers. Her words seem to break the spell they all other, and as they gathered up their things, all three of them began to talk in earnest about what they had just seen, what would happen next, and what they liked about the movie. They did this in lowered tones as they walked out of the theater into the nippy, Midwestern air, so they wouldn't spoil the movie to any they might walk by as they quickly made their way to the Impala.

Cas followed along and chuckled, casting a glance at one of the film's posters as they walked by.

He was glad that he had seen the movie, especially with his friends.

And as he slid into the back of the car with Charlie, he began to add his opinions into the mix as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: GUESS WHO SAW STAR WARS YESTERDAY! Overall, it's been a busy weekend, what with my sister getting married, but I'm really glad I got to see this yesterday. It was phenomenal! I had a lots of hopes and they were basically fulfilled. It was so much better than the prequels! I wrote this mostly yesterday, but I just had some editing to check today. Then, this morning on Twitter, someone posted about how Charlie would never get to see the new Star Wars trilogy or Fantastic Beasts when it comes out and I wanted to cry. Charlie would love this movie so much, so I'm glad she got to see it in my fan fics. I know this isn't Christmasy themed, but it had to be done. I'll see you all next time!


	47. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel tells the story of Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, y'all. And Happy Holidays to anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas.

Overall, Castiel felt like it had been a successful day, as far as his knowledge of a typical Christmas went.

The day had started out in the Bunker, with him, Charlie, and the Winchesters getting up to exchange gifts that they had set out the night before. They had gathered around the Christmas tree in order to hand them out. The angel had been ecstatic at how well-received his gifts had been, and he figured that's why people gave gifts in the first place.

He had received some nice things as well. Charlie had gifted him with a new series to read, _Artemis Fowl_ , as well as a couple of Marvel character key chains to put on his keys. Sam had given him a back massage tool as he thought it might help with the tinges he occasionally got due to the state of his wings. Dean, with a slight reddening of his face, had gotten him some novelty boxers for Star Wars and Star Trek.

The four of them had then shared brunch of an egg and sausage casserole as well as some pastries. Cas had gone through several mugs of hot chocolate, and no one had teased him about how much he loved the beverage.

After cleaning up from the morning's activities, they had all piled into the Impala and made the trek up to South Dakota as Jody had politely requested (read: ordered) for the Winchesters to be there for Christmas along with Castiel and Charlie. She had told them that presents weren't necessary, as it was just going to be dinner with her, Alex, Claire, and Donna, but Castiel was glad for the opportunity to give Claire her gift.

She had actually seemed to like it, too. And the angel was glad that Claire seemed to be moving on with her life.

Charlie and Claire had gotten along great. There was something about the redhead that just made people feel at ease and comfortable about themselves, and Cas could see that both Alex and Claire, who had both been harmed by the supernatural world, were taken in by her charms. Castiel was glad as the nerd was one of his best friends and he wanted her and Claire to get along.

Dinner had been good as well, and now they all laid about the living room soaking in the warmth of the fire as they digested the wonderful meal they had just eaten.

Castiel felt a bit restless though. He had nothing much to contribute to any of the soft conversations that drifted about the room, so he looked about, trying to find some sort of distraction.

His gaze fell upon the manger that stood on the mantel above the fireplace. With a graceful movement, he stood and walked over to study it more closely.

From his understanding, it was a fairly standard manger set, with Mary and Joseph clustered behind baby Jesus in his blankets on the hay-filled trough. Opposite them were the three magi presenting their gifts to the family, and just outside were the shepherds and sheep observing the action.

"The magi weren't actually there to witness his birth." Cas commented off-handedly. He didn't even register that he had really spoken out loud until he noticed that all of the other conversations had stopped.

He turned and saw that the others were staring at him.

 _What now?_ Cas couldn't help but wonder. He hated when this happened. It always meant that he had said the wrong thing.

"I know it's a common theory." Jody frowned, being the first one to respond. "But it's not like anyone knows for sure."

Cas frowned right back. "They weren't there." He knew that for sure. He liked Jody well enough, as her no-nonsense attitude often reminded him of Bobby, but he didn't know her as well as he had known the elderly hunter.

"You say that like you were there." Donna noted. This was his first time meeting this particular sheriff, but he liked her from what he had seen so far. She may appear to be a bit what Dean called "ditzy" but she was actually quite smart and observant.

"I was." Cas's brow furrowed.

The two sheriffs stared at him. "You couldn't be human and have done that." Jody narrowed her eyes at him.

The pieces clicked together at what was bothering them. Cas blinked and looked over at the Winchesters.

Claire, Charlie, and Alex (who Cas guessed had been told by Claire) turned to look at them as well. "You've never told them?" Claire asked incredulously.

"Told us what?" Jody asked, throwing the boys a suspicious look.

Both Winchesters looked a bit sheepish. "It's not like it's something we generally announce." Sam said defensively.

Charlie sighed and rolled her eyes. She stood and came up next to Cas, throwing her arm around his shoulders. "Cas here is an angel." She told the confused sheriffs.

Understanding instantly dawned in their eyes. "Oh." Donna said. She smiled. "Really?"

"Yes." He confirmed. Castiel felt a bit uncomfortable at how they were now staring at him, as it'd been a long time since anyone had gazed at him in admiration due to the simple fact he was an angel.

"Huh. Bobby never mentioned that." Jody shrugged the surprise off easily, returning to normal. Cas was grateful for that.

"Anyway," Claire stood and joined him and Charlie. She studied the manger scene as well. "You were really there?" She gave him a glance.

"Yes."

"Oh!" Charlie bounced up and down. "Story Time!" She pulled Cas over to the couch to sit next to Dean and plopped down on the angel's other side.

"Uh…" Castiel looked around, not quite getting what they wanted. Claire sat down next to Alex and joined in looking at him expectantly.

Charlie nudged him, probably sensing his nervousness. "So no wise men at the birth?" She asked with a smile. "What really happened?"

Oh. So that's what they wanted.

Castiel thought back to that faithful day all those years ago.

"Well," he began, "Lucifer had begun to act up once more. You see, Michael had cast him out of Heaven and into Hell, but he wasn't placed in the Cage until later. It was for the purpose of placing Lucifer there that Jesus was born."

"Really?" Dean asked, looking confused.

"Yes." Cas explained. "Why else do you think he was meant to descend into Hell when he died? It was then he and Father sealed Lucifer into the Cage. He was able to rise to Heaven afterward."

"Ah." The others accepted that explanation.

"In any case, it was before the fighting had gotten especially bad again, so Gabriel was still around. Though it wasn't this time of the year, closer to spring really, it was a clear crisp night when the Christ child was born." His eyes twinkled in remembrance.

"He was born close to midnight, and the stars shone out brilliantly. Some Seraphs were assigned to do that in honor of his birth. An actual star was created by Father as a signal of his birth, and it shone over the manger, which was actually more like a cave than the stables often depicted. It was true that he was born among the animals and the lowly though, as there was no room for his family anywhere in town.

"The magi were far off in their homelands, but they saw the star and knew through their studies its significance. They began their journey the night the Christ child was born, but it would take months for them to arrive and pay homage to him. That is why their coming is not talked about within the church readings until the time of Epiphany."

Castiel didn't notice how everyone sat forward in their seats, expressions rapt with awe and anticipation. He simply continued the story.

"The shepherds, however, were indeed closer, right outside of town. Shepherding is not like how it is often portrayed. It is dirty, but fulfilling, work, yet the shepherds were often looked down upon. They stayed with the sheep and watched over them to ensure they were not led astray or attacked by wild animals, and that's what they were doing that night.

"Gabriel was sent first, of course. He was the Messenger, the leader of the angels whose job was to act as emissaries between Heaven and Earth. He approached the shepherds and brought them news of Jesus's birth." He frowned a bit. "He did not use the exact words that are written in your Bible. He tends to be more… casual when he speaks." That was really the best way to describe it, he supposed.

"And then what happened?" Claire asked softly, and for the first time in several minutes, Cas remembered he had an audience. He blinked before continuing.

"My garrison, as the protectors and watchers of Earth, was chosen to appear with Gabriel to the shepherds. Most of us did not have vessels, but all of the shepherds had been tested beforehand to ensure they would be able to handle our true forms."

"Why didn't you have vessels?" Dean interrupted. It was actually a fair question, the angel felt.

"There were fewer people then, and finding compatible vessels is no easy task." Both Winchesters nodded as they remembered what had gone on after the angels had fallen. "It was also harder to get people to accept being vessels."

"I see."

"In any case, we all appeared, and we sang praises to Father and Jesus. Though we were not alone in doing so. Songs rang throughout all of Heaven in celebration." Cas closed his eyes as he remembered what it was like to sing with his brothers and sisters.

It had been a long time since any angel had reason to sing, much less give praise.

He opened his eyes and emerged from his memory. "As we finished, we disappeared to the shepherds' eyes, but we followed them on their journey to see the Christ child. We made sure the sheep did not misbehave so they could focus on the miracle that was before them. As they saw that Gabriel's words were true, they rejoiced, sending praises to Father. Such was their excitement that as they returned to the fields in the morning, they spread the news to all they saw."

Cas fell quiet as he came to the end of the story. He hoped that it was what they were expecting, especially as most of it was recorded in the Gospels.

Claire broke the silence. "Your true form doesn't look like the portrayals of angels you normally see." She frowned. After all, she was the only one present who had actually seen him, so she would know better than anyone.

"Yes, to most, what the shepherds saw would be comparable to the Northern Lights." Castiel confirmed.

"With wings."

"With wings." He agreed.

"Man, that must have been some sight." Charlie said, leaning back against the couch. "Gets me goosebumps just thinking about it."

"A king who was born not for the high-born, but the lowly, and as such was surrounded by them at birth." Jody mused, and she shrugged at the curious glances sent her way. "What? I used to go to church."

"Well, thanks for the story." Donna looked over at the angel. She raised her glance. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

"Merry Christmas." Everyone said as they joined in on the toast. They all took sips of their drinks and then the chatter from earlier started up again.

As Castiel sat there and looked around, he couldn't help the feeling of content. It brushed away the melancholy of thinking about his estranged family and all that they used to share.

Christmas may have started due to the birth of his younger half-brother whose destiny was to save the world, but he preferred celebrating it in honor of the family he had found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So that's the Christmas story from a real live angel who was there. I've also added a few details to try to incorporate the role of Jesus with what is known in Supernatural canon. After all, even in the Bible, the Devil makes several appearances despite the tales that I'm fairly sure say that Lucifer was cast out at about the same time that Adam and Eve were. So I don't think he was immediately put in the Cage. I think he was cast out, continued to cause havoc with his demons, and then eventually God said enough was enough, had Jesus born, and it was with Jesus's death that sealed Lucifer into the Cage. That would also explain why the angels were then able to withdraw from the world for about 2000 years until the Seals were threatened.
> 
> Putting headcanons aside, I know this is a day early, but I didn't want to post this tomorrow as my Dad would have a fit about writing fan fiction on Christmas. The title comes from the church hymn of the same name. It talks a lot about the angels singing to welcome Jesus's birth, so I thought it was appropriate. I hope you like it. I hope to do more chapters with Claire and the other Wayward Daughters in the future, but I decided to introduce them here as part of the SPN family. See you all and Happy Holidays!


	48. Auld Lang Syne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Free Will rings in the New Year.

"Is everything all set?" Charlie asked as she brought in a platter of sausage, cheese, and crackers and a giant bowl of M&M's.

"This is stupid." Dean grumbled, putting in _Die Hard_. It was his one insistence that they watch it if they were going to do this.

"It's not stupid. It's fun." Charlie insisted.

The Winchesters had never actually done anything for New Year's Eve before. Charlie had been appalled. There had been nothing that she could have done last year as she had been in Oz, but she had decided that the gang was celebrating.

The redhead looked around, making sure everything was set up. The Christmas decorations were still up, but that was fine. After all, technically it was still Christmas as there were 12 days. Still, Charlie had put out some beer and pop as well as some snacks to get them through the night until midnight struck.

Sure, staying up until midnight hit might not be as big a deal when you're an adult and usually stay up until that time anyway, but the nerd would never forget the thrill that it gave her as a kid when she got to stay up so late.

"Besides," Charlie continued as Dean pouted on the couch, waiting for the other two to show up, "did you see Cas's face when I explained what people normally do while waiting for midnight? I've never seen him excited like that."

Dean just grunted in reply, and she couldn't help but wonder what his problem was. There was something else going on.

Sam walked in with a few more snacks. "I think this should do it." He said as he cracked open a beer.

"Is Cas on his way?" Charlie asked him.

"Yeah, he–" The taller Winchester got cut off as the angel entered the room.

Charlie wondered how he did this considering that he was holding so many board games that they were blocking his eyes.

Yes, the moment she had mentioned that people usually played board games the angel's eyes had lit up. The redhead had never known that Castiel was so fond of them. He never mentioned it.

"What do you want to play first?" Cas asked excitedly as he set the many games down. He started to list them as he sorted through them. Charlie couldn't help but chuckle. "I have Apples to Apples, Life, Trouble, Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue, Sorry…"

His voice trailed off as his hand rested on Sorry. Charlie saw Dean looking at the game as well with a melancholy type of loathing in his eyes. Immediately, she could sense that there was some history behind the game.

Dang. She liked that one, too.

"Not that one." The angel muttered as he set it to the side. He immediately perked back up as he sorted through the other games. "Yahtzee, Uno, Twister, Risk, and Pictionary." He looked up at the others. His excitement was back as his eyes shone. "So which one?"

"I've got Cards Against Humanity somewhere. How about that?" Dean suggested.

Both Sam and Charlie threw him glares. She couldn't believe he'd suggest playing _that_ , of all things, with Cas.

Dean seemed to realize that a second too late.

Just as Cas opened his mouth to ask what that game was about, Dean did a turnabout, quickly grabbing the nearest game. "You know what, never mind! Let's play this!" Only then did he look down to see what he'd snatched.

It was Life.

Charlie and Sam were rolling on the ground with laughter as Dean's face slowly reddened and Cas's head tilted in confusion at them both. It was kind of ironic for them to be playing this game considering all of them had died at least once.

Still, the choice had been made so Castiel eagerly set up the board. It was decided that Charlie would be the banker as she was the one who understood the role best (more than Cas) and she was the least likely to cheat (for the Winchesters, all was fair in any competition). There was a slight squabble over who would get which car, but it ended with Charlie being yellow, Sam being orange, Castiel being blue, and Dean being green.

It was actually a lot of fun. They all chose the college route, but it was still fun to see Dean ending up being a police officer. Charlie laughed the loudest when it came time for the angel to get married and he ended up placing a guy piece next to himself in his van. Dean's face was priceless. Between turns, they all watched _Die Hard_ and then Cas insisted on _Frozen_ when that was finished and there was still time until midnight.

To no one's surprise, Sam ended up being the winner. He had gotten lucky by getting the accountant and the $100,000 salary card. He always got it back even when it got switched around. It had been a while since the younger Winchester had smiled so widely though, so none of the others really minded.

All too soon, the Disney movie was paused as it grew to be about ten minutes until the appointed hour. The drinks and snacks were greatly depleted, but Dean surprised them all by getting out a bottle of champagne. Charlie snickered, because it just proved that the hunter had been excited for this despite all the grumbling.

They switched the channel to see the the ball dropping in Chicago. One of the things that sucked about living in a different time zone was that you missed the timing for this kind of stuff in places like New York or Disney, but the Chicago one was good too.

It crossed the redhead's mind all the things she would be leaving behind when the new year struck.

"Are you okay?" Cas asked softly, giving Charlie a worried look. The Winchesters were fixated on the TV and not paying them any mind.

She blinked at him, having zoned out a bit as she had looked at the television. "What?"

"You don't look very happy like you did earlier."

Charlie grimaced a bit. "Well, I was just thinking about why I'm going to be glad to leave this year behind me."

There was a whole list of she'd like to forget. The Stynes, what had happened in Oz, what they were going to do about the Darkness…

"I can understand that." Cas admitted, and Charlie knew that. The angel had a rough year as well.

"There were some good things though." Charlie smiled a bit at the angel. "I got to meet you and become your bestie, after all."

Castiel returned the smile just as the Winchesters started the final countdown.

The ball dropped.

"Happy New Year!" Everyone called out, tapping their glasses together in a toast before taking a sip.

And Cas immediately spat his back out. "Ugh!" He said, his face twisting with disgust. "That taste is abominable."

Charlie laughed along with the Winchester's at the expression on Cas's face. This was a pretty good start for them at least.

Still, Charlie couldn't help but pray that this year would be a hell of a lot better than last year.


	49. Dude Looks Like a Lady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the team begins to investigate a series of strange incidences, they didn't think it would affect Castiel. Cas doesn't mind too much, but Dean's reaction is quite... interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been planning this chapter for a while. willow1210 also kind of requested it, but I'm doing my original plan of only doing one of the characters and not the two she or he suggested. Enjoy!

The current case was a bit of a puzzle. Both of the Winchesters and Charlie had been working on it for a week, which was longer than it usually took it. However, nothing was making sense.

It was a series of strange events.

There'd been a couple of disappearances, and some people who had been experienced some… interesting changes.

Personally, Charlie didn't think she'd mind if she suddenly found herself with cat or dog ears, but she drew the line at the devilish horns.

However, it was so weird that they'd finally decided to call in Castiel. He was also bringing some lore from the Bunker with him.

The angel had suggested that it was perhaps another trickster, or maybe a rouge angel. Neither option was great, but until they found some clues, which they hadn't found much of, it was all they got.

Charlie sighed as they entered the Winchesters' room after another long day of interviews. "Okay, now I'm really seeing the downsides of hunting." She admitted.

"What can we say? It's a thankless job, but someone's got to do it." Dean shrugged it off.

Sam, on the other hand, gave an irritated huff, and settled with his laptop on the bed, scowling all the while. This case was probably bothering him more than Dean. He prided himself on his research skills, but this time, there simply wasn't enough to _go_ on.

Charlie was leaning more towards irritation herself. She enjoyed it when she finally found an answer to a question, especially when it had a supernatural origin like all the games she had played since she was a kid. To have her technology fail her, it was just weird and she didn't like it.

Though this wasn't something that she could just hack her way into finding.

The three of them took turns changing back into their normal clothes in the bathroom, and soon they were all settled down, trying to find an answer.

Dean was the first to give up. "We might as well wait until Cas gets here." He shrugged his coat on. "I'm going to grab some grub, what do you want?"

Silence fell as Dean took their orders and left. It was Charlie's cell phone that broke it. She saw Castiel's name flash on the caller ID. "What's up?" She answered it.

"Could you remind me what your rooms are? I've gotten a bit… sidetracked." Charlie frowned, because Cas's voice sounded a bit odd. It had a bit of that gravelly quality, but it wasn't as deep as usual.

"Uh, sure." Charlie rattled off the two room numbers. "But we're currently in the Winchester's room, which is the first one."

"Good." Cas said. "Because I think I have another occurrence to report."

"What?" He hung up before she could really respond. She frowned at her phone.

"Cas almost here?" Sam asked, looking up from his laptop.

"Yeah, but something's weird." Charlie felt a few prickles of worry for the angel. What exactly could he have found? "He said that he's got another occurrence to report."

Sam's face scrunched in confusion. But it's not like they could do anything as the angel wasn't here yet.

That's part of the reason that Charlie bolted to the door when she heard a knock. Dean had a key, so it could only be one person.

"Cas, what's wrong–" The question died in her throat as she beheld who was at the door.

It was a woman. Dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders, slightly messy like she'd gotten caught in a breeze. She was somewhat tall, probably about 5'8'', and her clothes were baggy on her, but Charlie wasn't paying much attention to her clothes.

She found herself being captured by vivid, blue eyes framed by long, dark lashes.

Familiar eyes.

"C-Cas?" Charlie stammered, because _Holy Crap!_ And now the redhead was noticing that those baggy clothes were distinctly male, especially the trench coat.

Soft-looking, pink lips curled up into a small, familiar smile. "Hello, Charlie." Her voice still had that bit of gravel, but it was obviously higher, more in the female range.

That really clinched it.

"Come in." She quickly stepped to the side.

Charlie couldn't stop staring as Cas walked into the room. It turns out that her assumption was right that Cas would be an attractive woman. Not only that, but she definitely fell into her type.

"Hey, Cas, what – " Charlie couldn't help but take pleasure on Sam choking on his own tongue as he caught sight of the angel. "Cas?!"

At least she wasn't the only one taken aback.

And suddenly she couldn't wait to see Dean's reaction.

Cas frowned at the younger Winchester and tilted her head. "Of course." She seemed truly puzzled. "Who else would it be? You knew I would be coming after all." She slid a bag off her shoulder containing the lore books they had asked for.

"But you're all – well!" Sam waved a hand at the transformed angel, setting his laptop to the side.

"Oh, my body." Castiel looked down at it. "Yes, the sex of my body changed as I entered the limits of this city."

"You seem to be handling it very well." Charlie commented, though she was too she supposed. It wouldn't be the first time she had contemplated it.

Actually, now that she thought about it, that person had been there when she had last thought about it…

Cas blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you're suddenly a girl!" Sam managed to splutter. His brain seemed to be having trouble equating Castiel with the woman before them.

Castiel tilted her head again. "I am an angel." She said in a tone that basically said Sam was acting a lot less intelligent than usual. "I do not have a gender."

That figured. Charlie had quickly realized that Cas was agender, despite her normally male vessel. She had never really seemed to mind it or care when she did things that didn't fall into masculine norms.

Still…

"Are you comfortable like that?" Charlie gestured up and down at Cas's clothes. "I mean, loose clothes are nice and all, but those are a bit…"

"Indeed." Castiel pulled up her pants more, the belt already cinched as far in as it could go. Cas normally had a slightly smaller frame than the Winchesters, the build of a runner or swimmer rather than a contact sports person, but now she was swimming in her clothes as she was even smaller.

"Can you mojo that?" Sam asked, finally realizing the wardrobe problem.

"I will have to. Besides the sheer size difference, I also believe it's inappropriate to not restrain these in current society." Castiel reached up and grasped her breasts, frowning at them.

Sam turned bright red, hiding his face behind his laptop, and Charlie couldn't help but snicker. "Yeah, go do that." She gave the angel a little nudge towards the bathroom door.

With no more encouragement, Castiel entered and shut the door behind her to make the necessary changes.

"Wow." Charlie smirked.

"You can say that again." Sam muttered, finally resurfacing. However, he paused, and a mischievous smirk crossed his own face. "Oh, just wait until Dean sees her."

"I know." Charlie said, and the two of them snickered.

Dean chose that moment to walk right in. "Hey, got your guys' food." He had clearly already started on the burger in his hand, and walked towards the bed to hand Sam his salad and Charlie her grilled chicken sandwich.

And that was when Cas opened the bathroom door. She held her fake credentials, wallet, and car keys in her hands with a puzzled expression. "Charlie, there appears to be no pockets within the jacket or in the skirt; where am I supposed to put these?"

Dean literally choked.

He dropped the bag of food, and neither Charlie nor Sam minded how their food was probably getting lopsided due to it, simply because Dean's reaction was that good. He pounded his chest a bit as he tried to get that bite of burger down, yet at the same time, he couldn't take his eyes off Castiel.

The angel, of course, was by his side the instant he started choking. "Dean?" Worry filled her face, but the hunter waved her away. Luckily, he was coughing now, so his airway was clear. Still, she hovered close-by.

Charlie took the moment to take in her appearance. The outfit was obviously chosen from what Castiel had seen normal humans wear, but it was still undeniably her style. She had a white, button-up blouse done all the way to the top and her blue tie remained around the collar. Over it was a black blazer, and the ever present trench coat, which was apparently the only other thing she hadn't traded out. She also wore a black skirt that went down to about an inch over her knee, and black tights under that. She had luckily chosen some sensible shoes for her feet.

Cas hadn't done anything with her hair, so it still flowed around her face, but Charlie thought it was better that way. Or maybe she could convince her to have a messy bun, because that'd work too.

"Cas?" Dean finally managed to get out. "What the hell, man?"

"Actually, she's not a man at all." Charlie couldn't help but giggle. She turned to Cas. "You can just put that stuff in your coat pocket by the way. Or we could see about getting you a purse."

"Ah," Cas looked down at her things. "Alright." She slipped them into the normal pockets of her trench coat. "But that doesn't explain why there aren't any pockets in the first place."

"It's just one of the many injustices that come with being a woman." Charlie sighed. Seriously, the pocket thing really was not fair.

"No, but seriously," Dean straightened up, "what the hell?"

"It seems I've been affected by what's happening in this city." Castiel said plainly, not leaving Dean's personal space as per usual.

It was having a different effect than usual though. From what Charlie could tell, Dean was suddenly a lot more aware of Cas's close presence.

"Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious." Dean looked away from the angel, not noticing the hurt looked that flashed on her face. He carefully picked up the food, handed it to its owners, and shuffled over to the table with all the lore, putting distance between the two. "So we got anything yet?"

Castiel frowned as she walked over to join Dean. "I believe it's the work of a trickster. Especially as whatever it is can affect me."

"But there's no candy or wrappers anywhere." Dean protested.

The two of them fell into a debate, Cas opening lore books to prove her points, all the while Dean looked uncomfortable and unable to stop staring at the angel. And of course, the hunter was trying to make it look like he wasn't staring at her.

Charlie inched closer to Sam. "You know, I once mentioned genderbending Cas to Gabriel." She said lowly.

The taller Winchester glanced at her, realization dawning. "Ah." He looked back over at the pair, but luckily, Castiel was too busy staring at Dean and arguing to pay attention to what they were saying. "It is his MO."

"Yeah." The two of them both studied the pair at the table.

"Think we should tell them?" Sam hesitantly asked.

"Eh, Gabriel will pop up eventually." Charlie shrugged. "Besides," she sniggered, "isn't this hilarious?"

Sam and Charlie hid their snickers, as the others were completely caught up in their own little world.

For once, they had to agree with the archangel's sense of humor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Seriously, why don't girl's clothes have decent sized pockets. For my sister's wedding, I chose my bridesmaid's dress entirely due to the fact that it had pockets. And even if clothes do have pockets, they may not be big enough to hold things, especially as smartphones are getting bigger again. Anyway, I created the genderbent version of Cas based on my own Fem!Castiel cosplay I do, some cosplays I've seen online, and several fan arts I've come across. I do think that Castiel is agender (Misha's been asked about it, and he seems to agree). FYI, willow1210 suggested genderbending Cas and Charlie, but I decided just to do Cas like I originally thought about doing.
> 
> Also, this is my 50th chapter (counting FBI badges) for this fic so yay! These one-shots are a decent stress reliever. This chapter in particular was fun to write about and I hope you enjoyed it too.


	50. Resonance of the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, Castiel gets to introduce something to Charlie. Luckily, Charlie is up for watching a show of weapons, souls, and meisters.

It was an odd thing for Castiel to be introducing Charlie to something.

There were some things that Cas was better at when it came to introducing topics. Normally though, he would be talking about lore or history. He really wasn't the most up-to-date with pop culture stuff, so he normally relied on Charlie, the Winchesters, or the information from Metatron's download.

That's why Cas was so proud to be introducing something new to her that was actually part of pop culture.

He had found the show _Soul Eater_ while he was on Hulu looking through the anime section. The art style had looked different from other things he had watched and the title in and of itself was intriguing.

The angel had clicked on the first episode just out of curiosity.

And three hours later, he'd still been watching it.

The show took a fairly common theme in anime and twisted it a bit. There were plenty of shows about schools and students, even a lot where students trained with weaponry. However, a show where the weapons were actually people? That was certainly new.

Castiel had finished the show and started on the manga, which was even longer, but he felt that he needed to share this with Charlie after everything she had shared with him.

Luckily, the redhead had been totally up for it.

"Weapons who are actually people, and they can only be wielded by certain people who basically touch their soul?!" Charlie's eyes were practically shining as the first episode ended. "Me likey."

"And this is just one of the introduction episodes." Cas explained.

"Really?"

"Yes. The manga started with three one-shots that took place in this universe and each one introduces one of the focus partnerships. This is shown in the first three episodes of the anime."

"I see." Charlie said thoughtfully as Black Star and Tsubaki were introduced. She snorted at the ninja's antics. "Still, it's a really interesting concept."

"Indeed." He fell quiet as they were sucked back into the show.

It was a few episodes later that the redhead spoke up. "Is that what souls really look like?" She gestured at the stitched up, giant ball that was Stein's soul.

"No, not really." Castiel admitted, eyes not leaving the screen. "It is a fairly good interpretation though. All souls truly are unique and often show things about people that cannot normally be seen."

"What's mine look like?" Charlie asked excitedly, moving so she was fully facing the angel.

Slowly, he turned to look at her, slipping his vision into the state which would allow him to see souls. If one looked at a soul outside of its body, it would seem, to most humans, to be a ball of light being clasped within one's hands. Of course, if there were a plethora of souls, such as when he consumed the souls of Purgatory, it would seem like a giant, roiling stream of blazing light.

Angels saw more than that, and some demons as well. The soul was centered in the chest and its influence spread from there until it caused a person to glow. Charlie's soul was a bright red and gold, shining with bravery and loyalty as if she were a member of the Gryffindor house rather than Ravenclaw. Yet it gave off a comforting warmth, like a hearth fire as it burnt down while still providing heat. It was an open and caring soul, epitomizing the nerd perfectly.

Castiel smiled. "It suits you perfectly. Open and caring and exceedingly warm."

Charlie beamed before the confrontation with Stein drew back her attention.

Cas stared at her for a bit longer though, until he finally sighed and "turned off" his soul vision.

It had actually been a while since he had actively looked at anyone's soul. Sometimes he did it subconsciously, and it always amazed him when he did so and watched humanity walk by, but Dean had always seemed to be able to sense when he used it and had appeared to be uncomfortable with it. After Raphael had killed him and he'd Fallen, he'd gotten into the habit of not using it as much in order to not alienate his human allies.

Looking at Charlie's soul had reminded him of why he loved it. He absently wished that he could gaze at Dean's soul again, but he already could guess the hunter's reaction. Things had been tough enough lately already.

"Soul Resonance is cool too." Charlie commented absently. "I wish that could happen in real life."

"It does." Castiel said, and he ignored the redhead's look of surprise as he explained further. "Not the way it happens in _Soul Eater_ though. Have you ever noticed that you suddenly feel stronger when you're working with others towards a common goal?"

Charlie, as smart as ever, quickly connected the dots. "You're all focusing so hard on the same thing that your very _souls_ resonate?" She sounded a bit awed. He nodded to confirm her hypothesis and she huffed out a chuckle. "Amazing."

Of course, Cas didn't mention that he would never feel the sensation because he, as an angel, didn't have a soul. He had seen it several times throughout history though. He had even seen his human friends resonate before. He almost wished that he'd had an opportunity to work with his friends like that when he was human, so he could have experienced it though he would have been unable to see it.

But as he watched Soul and Maka battle their way through monsters, murderers, and fear, a small part of him admitted that there were times when he felt that he almost could resonate with his friends and comrades. Even when he was an angel.

It was, as Charlie said, amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is another anime that I enjoy, though I prefer the manga. The manga just goes a lot more in-depth and I find the ending more satisfying. I have a lot of issues with the anime's ending, but like with most animes based on manga, they had to come up with something as the manga wasn't done yet. See you later!


	51. My Heart Will Go On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie feels it a crime that Cas hasn't seen Titanic. It reminds him of another one of his brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a request by cheryl24 a while ago. I had fun with this, and though I had planned to try to edit and post this on Wednesday, I'm almost glad I waited. Now it can help heal our broken hearts.

"Is this truly a good choice?" Cas frowned, looking at the DVD box.

"Oh, come on. It's practically a classic." Charlie frowned right back from where she was loading the DVD into the player.

They had just finished a case together. It had involved a Shifter who had an obsession with Leonardo DiCaprio, appearing before people as various characters from films he had been in.

Charlie had been shocked that Cas had never seen any movies with good old Leonardo in it, so she had taken it upon herself, as usual, to educate the poor celestial being. Naturally, she had picked up _Titanic_ on the way back to their motel room in order to watch it. However, it seemed like there was some sort of… _issue_ that was bothering the angel about the movie she had chosen.

"What's wrong?" She asked sidling up to him on the couch, ignoring the menu in order to get to the bottom of this.

Cas pursed his lips and looked away, a sure sign that he was avoiding something. Charlie didn't push him, but within a few minutes he sighed and caved. "My brother Balthazar hated this movie." He admitted.

"Really?" Charlie blinked, wondering what on Earth could have caused an angel, a being that normally seemed to act above human things (though Cas was a definite exception), to hate _Titanic_ of all things.

"Back during the civil war in Heaven, in order to help provide souls to power my side, he went back in time and unsunk the Titanic. He chose to do that also because of his hatred of the movie, or more specifically a certain song in it." Castiel was gazing off into the distant memories and the redhead was glad because it meant that he didn't see her jaw drop.

Charlie knew that it was unusual to meet an angel, but she knew it was a bit weirder for her. After all, she had never met an angel until after the Fall. Due to the Fall, basically every angel had taken a huge cut in their power. To think, that at one time, angels had enough power to casually go into the past and unsink one of the most famous shipwrecks in all of history was something that she was having a bit of trouble wrapping her brain around.

Then a thought occurred to her. "But the Titanic did sink." She frowned.

"Yes." Cas looked a bit embarrassed. "Fate began to go after the descendants of people who should not have survived. The Winchesters picked up the case, and she was already upset with them for ruining her script for the intended Apocalypse…"

"So you guys had to change things back to how they were or else she would have killed them." Charlie concluded and she winced. The boys really were Cas's greatest weakness when you thought about it. He would give up everything and anything for them no matter the cost to himself.

And unfortunately, everyone knew that.

"What happened to Balthazar?" She asked, because she hadn't really heard him mention that angel before.

Castiel immediately tensed up. An expression of complete and utter sorrow crossed his face and it simply made Charlie's heart ache. "I killed him." He muttered so quietly that Charlie could scarcely hear him.

She blinked. That sounded odd. After all, Cas had been talking like Balthazar had been, at the very least, a friend. For him to kill him…

There must have been a reason, and Cas already looked like he was being consumed by guilt, so Charlie decided to drop it. No need to push the angel.

"Let's just watch the movie." Charlie said firmly, and she scooted close to the angel, because despite how tense he was, she sensed that he needed a friend at the moment.

As she got close, some of the tension was released and she realized that he'd again been worrying about her reaction. After all, why would you get close to someone who just willingly admitted that they had killed a friend and ally?

"I think you'll be okay with this movie." Charlie said, clicking the play button. Together, they settled in for the 3-hour film.

They didn't talk much, other than Castiel expressing confusion as to why the movie was starting modern times rather than on the Titanic itself and Charlie having a bit of a moment over Kate Winslet. It was all going fine.

Up until it was near the end.

Charlie braced herself, because of the climax and the famous song that would play. However, suddenly the TV simply went out.

The two of them blinked at suddenly being thrust back into reality.

"What?" Charlie stared at the TV set, dumbfounded.

"The electricity is still on." Cas said, looking at the overhead light, proving that it wasn't a power-failure.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I wasn't kidding about listening to that God-awful song." A British voice commented from behind them. "I will smite myself."

They both whirled around, and Charlie took in the figure sitting on one of the beds.

He was probably very tall when standing with blond hair and blue eyes which held a bit of mischievousness similar to Gabriel. He wore a V-neck gray shirt with a jacket over it and tight, dark jeans. Though she didn't recognize him, the fact that he'd gotten in so easily couldn't help but make her think of an angel.

The redhead turned to ask Castiel if he recognized the interloper, but she paused when she saw his face. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Balthazar…" He breathed, his eyes never leaving the angel.

Charlie blinked. "Oh." The full implications hit her. "Oh!" She looked between the two.

Balthazar's smirk faded into a slightly sympathetic smile as he rose from where he was positively lounging on the couch. "Hey, Cassie."

Castiel hunched in on himself, guilt in every line of his body. "Balthazar, I…"

"None of that now." The blond angel came over and patted Cas on top of his head like he was a little kid. "It's all right."

"But I- "

"I would've done the same thing in your position." Balthazar said firmly. "I'm sorry to have put you in that position in the first place. Let's just move on."

Castiel looked up at him, puppy-dog eyes in full force.

Charlie tried to give them their space.

"Okay." Cas finally said.

"Good." Balthazar nodded, and his gaze finally turned to Charlie. She jumped a bit as this was an angel that she had read nothing about and she wanted to squirm under his inquiring gaze. "And I was serious about what I said before." He finally said to her.

"What?" Charlie's brain went into overdrive trying to work out what he meant.

Balthazar sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're a bit of a step up from those Winchester brats, but not much." He muttered to himself before addressing her. "If you're going to introduce Cassie to Leonardo DiCaprio, you might as well choose something that doesn't leave Celine Dione blasting in your ear. I could see him liking _Inception_."

" _Titanic_ 's a classic." Charlie could help but rebut.

Balthazar raised an eyebrow. "I suppose, but–"

"How about I just go get _Inception_ and you two could not fight?" Castiel quickly said, probably sensing where this conversation was going.

Before Charlie could open her mouth, Balthazar beat her to it. "Excellent plan. Why don't you run along and do that?"

Cas made to get up, but before he left he leaned into Charlie's personal space and whispered, "He's a good person at heart." Charlie was glad, because she was a bit nervous about being left alone with this unknown angel. She knew that Cas would never purposefully put her in danger though.

They didn't talk at first. It was Balthazar was the one to break it.

"Do you look after him?" She looked over at him at his words, and she saw the same expression on his face that she had seen on Dean's face dozens of times.

"I try my best." She admitted.

"Good. Someone needs to, and the Winchesters get so wrapped up in their own problems that though they may care, he gets pushed to the wayside." Balthazar flopped onto the couch and looked at her seriously. "So please watch out for my baby brother."

Charlie finally felt a small smile tug at her lips. "Will do."

Despite his dislike of a classic such as _Titanic_ , due to Celine Dione of all people, Charlie had a feeling she and Balthazar would get along just fine.

After all, they both just wanted to keep Castiel safe.


	52. Slumber Party Tonight!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie finally collects on the Winchesters' promise of a sleepover.

"What are you doing?"

Castiel looked up at Dean's question. "What does it look like?" He couldn't help but wonder what would be going through his head at such a sight. It might also explain what exactly he was doing because, quite frankly, he didn't have a clue.

"It looks like you're setting up sleeping bags. In our living room." Dean's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Charlie told me to." He admitted.

"Why-" Dean began to ask.

"Because you owe me a slumber party!" Charlie declared as she bustled into the room carrying bags of chips and candy.

"What?" Dean blinked. "Why on Earth would I have ever promise you something like that? I'm pretty sure that's a girl thing."

"Yes, you totally did!" An indignant expression crossed her face. Cas tried to hold back a chuckle. "When I came here to help with the computers and we ended up fighting the Wicked Witch! I never actually got to sleep over that night."

Actually, Dean's words stirred a memory in Castiel's own mind.

"You also told me once that we'd have a sleepover." Cas said.

"Ha!" A grin spread across Charlie's face. "That's even more proof that we should do this!" She skipped out, probably to get more snacks.

"When did I ever promise you something like a slumber party?" Dean asked, his face looking a bit disgusted.

Cas paused. "It was after I got out of Purgatory, during the Looney Toons case." He knew that that had been an awkward time for them. The angel didn't really want to bring it up, especially as he didn't like thinking about how much influence Naomi could have been wielding over him without him knowing.

"Oh, yeah." Dean's face cleared in understanding. He looked around, clearly wanting to change the subject. His brow furrowed as a new thought must have come to him. "Wait, from what Charlie said, were you setting this up without even knowing why you were doing it? Why would you do that?"

Cas raised an eyebrow. "And go against Charlie?"

Dean seemed to think about that a moment. Then he sighed. "Well, I would have done the same thing." He admitted with a shrug.

"So are slumber parties… really a 'girl' thing?" Castiel asked, because with Dean you could never really be sure. He had a habit of labeling things just to mask his own insecurities.

"Uh, I think?" Dean said. "That's what TV has shown me."

Cas frowned. That sounded like…

"You told me porn doesn't count as real TV."

Dean scowled. "I wasn't talking about porn."

"Right." Castiel somehow doubted that. It probably wasn't all of the exposure Dean had had to slumber parties, but he was sure that those films had something to do with it.

Sam stuck his head in the doorway. "What's this about a sleepover?"

"Charlie decided." Dean said by way of explanation.

Sam's face scrunched up. It wasn't quite at bitch face levels, but it was close. "Why? I mean, you guys sleep over here all the time."

"That's not the same!" Charlie insisted, this time carrying pillows and pop. "To truly sleep over at someone's house, you need sleeping bags, pillow fights, snack food, movies, and talking late into the night."

Now both Winchesters were looking decidedly disgruntled. After all, while they (and Castiel supposed that he was also included in this category) could talk about cases and how to solve problems all through the night, they didn't really _talk_ and that's what Charlie implied that they had to do.

Though Dean had also mentioned something else the last time he had brought up "slumber parties."

"For sleepovers, is it also required to braid each others' hair? Dean said that we would do Sam's last time." Castiel asked Charlie as she put down her load. He then turned a critical eye at the Winchester. "However, his hair is not currently as long as it was then…"

"That's perfect!" Charlie clapped her hands in delight as Sam groaned. She rolled her eyes at the younger hunter. "Oh, come on, you both are acting like this is some huge trial." She picked up a couple of DVD's. "Believe it or not, guys have sleepovers, too. And I even borrowed _Kingsman: Secret Service_ and _Ant-Man_ so you guys wouldn't complain about having to watch so-called 'girly' movies. Even though these were the types of movies my friends would watch when I was little." The last part was muttered to herself.

"Fine." Dean begrudgingly said, but the way he grabbed a Pepsi and went to put _Kingsman_ belied his supposed reluctance.

Sam groaned, surprising Castiel by being the more reluctant one to do a normal activity. He almost didn't notice Charlie sidle up.

"You purposely brought up the hair-braiding, didn't you?" The redhead asked quietly so neither Winchester would hear.

Cas's lips quirked up into a smile.

Charlie replied with a grin. "Any particular reason why? You aren't really one to troll people usually."

"Dean brought me what he called an 'Elvis' burger while he was getting one for himself." Cas frowned. "Sam said that we were disgusting for eating them.

Charlie chuckled, and went flop down on all of the sleeping bags and pillows. She knew that Cas was being serious. You did not want to mess with his burgers and Dean had been kind enough to get him one, even if it had been a bit unusual.

Plus, Cas couldn't help but think that braiding Sam's hair might be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Yeah, this was written because the boys owed the two a sleepover. And I have to admit, that though media has portrayed it differently, boys can totally have sleepovers. I think my brothers had more sleepovers, both at our house and at others' houses, than I ever did. Anyway, just a quick fic to counter all the angst going on in canon. I've also decided that for this story, they never went to the Cage and Cas didn't get possessed, because Charlie smacked the stupid idea from their heads and she makes sure that Cas knows that she cares. If it does turn out that Lucifer is absolutely necessary to defeat the Darkness, I'll come up with something.


	53. Operation: Take Back the Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Charlie watch the series finale for Gravity Falls together. Afterwards, there's only one thing to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry! There aren't any spoilers if you haven't seen the Gravity Falls finale yet! This is just how I felt about the finale for the most part.

"What are you guys wearing?"

 _Why does it seem like Dean always asks questions like this when he walks in on us?_ Cas wondered. It certainly seemed to be becoming a trend.

Both Cas and Charlie looked over at where the hunter was staring at them from the entrance to the TV room. Both of their faces expressed their confusion.

"I'm unsure what you are confused about. We're wearing clothes, like all humans have done since Adam and Eve ate the fruit, gained knowledge, and realized that they were naked and cold." Castiel told the hunter.

Dean blinked a bit in surprise, though Cas didn't understand why. "No." He clarified. "I mean, why are dressed like that?"

Ah. That made a bit more sense.

Charlie scowled a bit from her seat at the hunter. She was dressed in a pink sweater with a shooting star on it, a jean skirt, and a pink headband. She was holding a pig pillow pet close, and her eyes kept darting towards the TV even though they had a good fifteen minutes left before it started.

Cas himself was dressed in his usual outfit with the exception of the blue and white ball cap on his head with the pine tree on it.

"Jeez, have you never seen _Gravity Falls_ before?" Charlie scoffed.

"Uh, no."

There was a moment of silence. Slowly, both Charlie and Castiel turned to stare at the hunter.

Dean seemed a bit unnerved. "Uh, guys?" He took a small step back.

"Once this is over, we shall come for you." Cas promised. After all the times that the hunter had tried to introduce the angel to the various realms of pop culture, it was only appropriate that Castiel did this.

"Yes." Charlie agreed. "This is something you can't truly miss out."

"Are you guys possessed or something?" Dean glanced between the two.

"I think you're thinking more of Night Vale." Charlie said.

"What?"

"In any case," Castiel quickly cut in, " _Gravity Falls_ is a wonderful show and we want to share it with you. I think you'd like it."

"Wait, is this the Disney channel? You want me to watch some kid's show?" Dean's face scrunched up in confusion.

Castiel and Charlie looked at him, aghast. "It's more than just a kid's show, Dean." Cas said quietly.

"It's amazing, and it's hilarious and great and entertaining." Charlie threw in.

"I think you'd really like it if you gave it a try."

"Okay. So why can't we just watch it now?" Dean relented.

"Are you crazy?!" Charlie shouted, quickly checking that it hadn't started yet.

"Dean! It's the series finale! We can't miss this!" Castiel concurred.

Dean took a step back. "Okay. Okay. Find me afterward and we'll start marathoning it."

"Okay." The two seated on the couch accepted those terms.

Dean looked at the TV. "Whoa, what happened to that place? Who are all those people?"

Their gaze snapped to the TV.

"Oh my God, it's started." Charlie squealed a bit as she bounced up and down in her seat.

"Let me put it this way, Dean." Castiel said, answering the hunter's question. "Though we may have been able to survive the Apocalypse, I'm not sure we would have made it out of Weirdmaggedon with our sanity intact."

"Okay…" Dean looked between them and the TV. "I'm just gonna go."

The room's two occupants ignored the hunter as he made a hasty exit.

It had been a long road to get here. They had actually discovered _Gravity Falls_ together, instead of one of them introducing it to each other. And this had happened even before the Darkness's release. Charlie had plenty of friends online who had kept insisting that she watch it, and Cas had been fine with watching it as he found that he was fond of watching cartoons.

It had been a revelation.

Charlie and he had been fascinated by the mystery, the humor, the animation, everything. The redhead had immediately hopped on her Tumblr and "fangirled" over it, while Castiel had been doing the same just with the nerd. They had laughed and cried along with the Pine twins as they slowly uncovered the mysteries of Gravity Falls.

And now, it was at the end.

The episode, an hour long one to boot, was everything they could have wanted and more.

There were laughs and tears, and by the end, Charlie and Cas were holding each other close. The credits came to an end.

"Summer's over." Castiel said mournfully.

"Yeah." Charlie said, teary eyed. She gave a huge sniff and turned away. Cas was a bit grateful as it gave him a moment to dab at the moisture that had gathered in the corner of his eye.

"Whoa. What happened here?"

The angel looked up and saw Sam standing in the doorway.

And suddenly, Castiel had a wonderful idea that would help deal with this pain.

"Have you ever seen _Gravity Falls_?" Cas asked innocently enough.

Charlie's head jerked up at his words, and they shared a look. A huge grin took up her face as she realized what he was planning.

"Uh, kinda, but I've never seen it before." Sam's face scrunched in confusion as he stared at the angel. "Are you wearing a hat? I don't think I've ever seen you in one before."

"Hmm." Cas decided not to answer that. "Would you get your brother? We made plans for him, and you're welcome to join us."

"Uh, if you've made plans, I wouldn't want to intrude." Sam quickly said.

"You're joining us." Charlie gave him a feral grin.

Luckily, the younger Winchester knew better to refuse an order from the redhead.

"I'll get Dean." Sam hurried off into the depths of the Bunker to retrieve his brother.

As he left, Charlie and Cas shared a grin, and the nerd pulled Waddles closer to her.

After all, Cas had figured out that the best way to deal with pain from something you're a fan of is to get another person into it and putting them through the same pain that you're in.

Castiel was really getting into this nerd thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So Gravity Falls is over.
> 
> I'm fine.
> 
> (I'm not fine.)
> 
> It was basically I could have wanted. It was wonderful. Anyone who hasn't watched the show absolutely should. It is one of the best shows I've ever seen.
> 
> I think the whole SPN gang would like it if they gave it a shot.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I think a lot of these chapters are going to be about Charlie getting Cas into a whole bunch of nerdy stuff (in other words, stuff that I myself watch/read). I noticed that just because Metatron dumped all of that info into Castiel, that doesn't mean that Cas really understands it. Right after Metatron did that, Cas identified Metatron's quote and Dean's reference, but he didn't see how they exactly pertained to the situation. I think if he actually took time to read/watch them, it would really help. Therefore, I started with the first thing that I truly threw myself into besides Disney movies and Star Wars. Granted, the Harry Potter movies are really good for an adaptation though the books are still better. It could have been worse. *cough* Lightning Thief *cough*


End file.
